Rethinking Islam

By Ziauddin Sardar

Professor of Postcolonial Studies, London
11/06/2002

Serious rethinking within Islam is long overdue. Muslims have been comfortably relying, or rather falling back, on age-old interpretations for much too long. This is why we feel so painful in the contemporary world, so uncomfortable with modernity. Scholars and thinkers have been suggesting for well over a century that we need to make a serious attempt at Ijtihad, at reasoned struggle and rethinking, to reform Islam. At the beginning of the last century, Jamaluddin Afghani and Mohammad Abduh led the call for a new Ijtihad; and along the way many notable intellectuals, academics and sages have added to this plea - not least Mohammad Iqbal, Malik bin Nabbi and Abdul Qadir Audah. Yet, ijtihad is one thing Muslim societies have singularly failed to undertake. Why?

The why has now acquired an added urgency. Just look around the Muslim world and see how far we have travelled away from the ideals and spirit of Islam. Far from being a liberating force, a kinetic social, cultural and intellectual dynamics for equality, justice and humane values, Islam seems to have acquired a pathological strain. Indeed, it seems to me that we have internalised all those historic and contemporary western representations of Islam and Muslims that have been demonising us for centuries. We now actually wear the garb, I have to confess, of the very demons that the West has been projecting on our collective personality.

But to blame the West, or a notion of instrumental modernity that is all but alien to us, would be a lazy option. True, the West, and particularly America, has a great deal to answer for. And Muslims are quick to point a finger at the injustices committed by American and European foreign policies and hegemonic tendencies. However, that is only a part, and in my opinion not an insurmountable part, of the malaise. Hegemony is not always imposed; sometimes, it is invited. The internal situation within Islam is an open invitation.

We have failed to respond to the summons to Ijtihad for some very profound reasons. Prime amongst these is the fact that the context of our sacred texts – the Qur’an and the examples of the Prophet Muhammad, our absolute frame of reference – has been frozen in history. One can only have an interpretative relationship with a text – even more so if the text is perceived to be eternal. But if the interpretative context of the text is never our context, not our own time, then its interpretation can hardly have any real meaning or significance for us as we are now. Historic interpretations constantly drag us back to history, to frozen and ossified context of long ago; worse, to perceived and romanticised contexts that have not even existed in history. This is why while Muslims have a strong emotional attachment to Islam, Islam per se, as a worldview and system of ethics, has little or no direct relevance to their daily lives apart from the obvious concerns of rituals and worship. Ijtihad and fresh thinking have not been possible because there is no context within which they can actually take place.

The freezing of interpretation, the closure of ‘the gates of ijtihad’, has had a devastating effect on Muslim thought and action. In particular, it has produced what I can only describe as three metaphysical catastrophes: the elevation of the Shari`ah to the level of the Divine, with the consequent removal of agency from the believers, and the equation of Islam with the State. Let me elaborate.

Most Muslims consider the Shari`ah, commonly translated as ‘Islamic law’, to be divine. Yet, there is nothing divine about the Shari`ah. The only thing that can legitimately be described as divine in Islam is the Qur’an. The Shari`ah is a human construction; an attempt to understand the divine will in a particular context. This is why the bulk of the Shari`ah actually consists of fiqh or jurisprudence, which is nothing more than legal opinion of classical jurists. The very term fiqh was not in vogue before the Abbasid period when it was actually formulated and codified. But when fiqh assumed its systematic legal form, it incorporated three vital aspects of Muslim society of the Abbasid period. At that juncture, Muslim history was in its expansionist phase, and fiqh incorporated the logic of Muslim imperialism of that time. The fiqh rulings on apostasy, for example, derive not from the Qur'an but from this logic. Moreover, the world was simple and could easily be divided into black and white: hence, the division of the world into Daral Islam and Daral Harb. Furthermore, as the framers of law were not by this stage managers of society, the law became merely theory which could not be modified - the framers of the law were unable to see where the faults lay and what aspect of the law needed fresh thinking and reformulation. Thus fiqh, as we know it today, evolved on the basis of a division between those who were governing and set themselves apart from society and those who were framing the law; the epistemological assumptions of a ‘golden’ phase of Muslim history also came into play. When we describe the Shari`ah as divine, we actually provide divine sanctions for the rulings of by-gone fiqh.

What this means in reality is that when Muslim countries apply or impose the Shari`ah – the demands of Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria - the contradictions that were inherent in the formulation and evolution of fiqh come to the fore. That is why wherever the Shari`ah is imposed – that is, fiqhi legislation is applied, out of context from the time when it was formulated and out of step with ours - Muslim societies acquire a medieval feel. We can see that in Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and the Taliban Afghanistan. When narrow adherence to fiqh, to the dictates of this or that school of thought, whether it has any relevance to real world or not, becomes the norm, ossification sets in. The Shari`ah will solve all our problems becomes the common sentiment; and it becomes necessary for a group with vested interest in this notion of the Shari`ah to preserve its territory, the source of its power and prestige, at all costs. An outmoded body of law is thus equated with the Shari`ah, and criticism is shunned and outlawed by appealing to its divine nature.

The elevation of the Shari`ah to the divine level also means the believers themselves have no agency: since The Law is a priori given people themselves have nothing to do expect to follow it. Believers thus become passive receivers rather than active seekers of truth. In reality, the Shari`ah is nothing more than a set of principles, a framework of values, that provide Muslim societies with guidance. But these sets of principles and values are not a static given but are dynamically derived within changing contexts. As such, the Shari`ah is a problem-solving methodology rather than law. It requires the believers to exert themselves and constantly reinterpret the Qur’an and look at the life of the Prophet Muhammad with ever changing fresh eyes. Indeed, the Qur’an has to be reinterpreted from epoch to epoch – which means the Shari`ah, and by extension Islam itself, has to be reformulated with changing contexts. The only thing that remains constant in Islam is the text of the Qur’an itself – its concepts providing the anchor for ever changing interpretations.

Islam is not so much a religion but an integrative worldview: that is to say, it integrates all aspects of reality by providing a moral perspective on every aspect of human endeavour. Islam does not provide ready-made answers to all human problems; it provides a moral and just perspective within which Muslims must endeavour to find answers to all human problems. But if everything is a priori given, in the shape of a divine Shari`ah, then Islam is reduced to a totalistic ideology. Indeed, this is exactly what the Islamic movements – in particularly Jamaat-e-Islami (both Pakistani and Indian varieties) and the Muslim Brotherhood – have reduced Islam to. Which brings me to the third metaphysical catastrophe. Place this ideology within a nation state, with divinely attributed Shari`ah at its centre, and you have an ‘Islamic state’. All contemporary ‘Islamic states’, from Iran, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan to aspiring Pakistan, are based on this ridiculous assumption. But once Islam, as an ideology, becomes a programme of action of a vested group, it looses its humanity and becomes a battlefield where morality, reason and justice are readily sacrificed at the alter of emotions. Moreover, the step from a totalistic ideology to a totalitarian order where every human-situation is open to state-arbitration is a small one. The transformation of Islam into a state-based political ideology not only deprives it of its all moral and ethical content, it also debunks most of Muslim history as un-Islamic. Invariably, when Islamists rediscover a ‘golden’ past, they do so only in order to disdain the present and mock the future. All we are left with is messianic chaos, as we saw so vividly in the Taliban regime, where all politics as the domain of action is paralysed and meaningless pieties become the foundational truth of the state.

The totalitarian vision of Islam as a State thus transforms Muslim politics into a metaphysics: in such an enterprise, every action can be justified as ‘Islamic’ by the dictates of political expediency as we witnessed in revolutionary Iran.

The three metaphysical catastrophes are accentuated by an overall process of reduction that has become the norm in Muslim societies. The reductive process itself is also not new; but now it has reached such an absurd state that the very ideas that are supposed to take Muslims societies towards humane values now actually take them in the opposite direction. From the subtle beauty of a perennial challenge to construct justice through mercy and compassion, we get mechanistic formulae fixated with the extremes repeated by people convinced they have no duty to think for themselves because all questions have been answered for them by the classical `ulamas, far better men long dead. And because everything carries the brand name of Islam, to question it, or argue against it, is tantamount to voting for sin.

The process of reduction started with the very notion of `alim (scholar) itself. Just who is an `alim; what makes him an authority? In early Islam, an `alim was anyone who acquired `ilm, or knowledge, which was itself described in a broad sense. We can see that in the early classifications of knowledge by such scholars as al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al-Ghazali and Ibn Khuldun. Indeed, both the definition of knowledge and its classification was a major intellectual activity in classical Islam. So all learned men, scientists as well as philosophers, scholars as well as theologians, constituted the `ulama. But after the ‘gates of ijtihad’ were closed during the Abbasid era, ilm was increasingly reduced to religious knowledge and the `ulama came to constitute only religious scholars.

Similarly, the idea of ijma, the central notion of communal life in Islam, has been reduced to the consensus of a select few. Ijma literally means consensus of the people. The concept dates back to the practice of Prophet Muhammad himself as leader of the original polity of Muslims. When the Prophet Muhammad wanted to reach a decision, he would call the whole Muslim community – then, admittedly not very large – to the mosque. A discussion would ensue; arguments for and against would be presented. Finally, the entire gathering would reach a consensus. Thus, a democratic spirit was central to communal and political life in early Islam. But over time the clerics and religious scholars have removed the people from the equation – and reduced ijma to ‘the consensus of the religious scholars’. Not surprisingly, authoritarianism, theocracy and despotism reigns supreme in the Muslim world. The political domain finds its model in what has become the accepted practice and metier of the authoritatively ‘religious’ adepts, those who claim the monopoly of exposition of Islam. Obscurantist Mullahs, in the guise of the `ulama, dominate Muslim societies and circumscribe them with fanaticism and absurdly reductive logic.

Numerous other concepts have gone through similar process of reduction. The concept of Ummah, the global spiritual community of Muslims, has been reduced to the ideals of a nation state: ‘my country right or wrong’ has been transpose to read ‘my Ummah right or wrong’. So even despots like Saddam Hussein are now defended on the basis of ‘Ummah consciousness’ and ‘unity of the Ummah’. Jihad has now been reduced to the single meaning of ‘Holy War’. This translation is perverse not only because the concept’s spiritual, intellectual and social components have been stripped away, but it has been reduced to war by any means, including terrorism. So anyone can now declare jihad on anyone, without any ethical or moral rhyme or reason. Nothing could be more perverted, or pathologically more distant from the initial meaning of jihad. It’s other connotations, including personal struggle, intellectual endeavour, and social construction have all but evaporated. Istislah, normally rendered as ‘public interest’ and a major source of Islamic law, has all but disappeared from Muslim consciousness. And Ijtihad, as I have suggested, has now been reduced to little more than a pious desire.

But the violence performed to sacred Muslim concepts is insignificant compared to the reductive way the Qur’an and the sayings and examples of the Prophet Muhammad are brandied about. What the late Muslim scholar, Fazlur Rahman called the ‘atomistic’ treatment of the Qur’an is now the norm: almost anything and everything is justified by quoting individual bits of verses out of context. After the September 11 event, for example, a number of Taliban supporters, including a few in Britain, justified their actions by quoting the following verse: ‘We will put terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. They serve other gods for whom no sanction has been revealed. Hell shall be their home’ (3: 149). Yet, the apparent meaning attributed to this verse could not be further from the true spirit of the Qur’an. In this particular verse, the Qur’an is addressing Prophet Muhammad himself. It was revealed during the battle of Uhud, when the small and ill equipped army of the Prophet, faced a much larger and well-equipped enemy. He was concerned about the outcome of the battle. The Qur’an reassures him and promises the enemy will be terrified with the Prophet’s unprofessional army. Seen in its context, it is not a general instruction to all Muslims; but a commentary on what was happening at that time. Similarly hadiths are quoted to justify the most extremes of behaviour. And the Prophet’s own appearance, his beard and cloths, have been turned into a fetish: so now it is not just obligatory for a ‘good Muslim’ to have a beard, but its length and shape must also conform to dictates! The Prophet has been reduced to signs and symbols – the spirit of his behaviour, the moral and ethical dimensions of his actions, his humility and compassion, the general principles he advocated have all been subsumed by the logic of absurd reduction.

The accumulative effect of the metaphysical catastrophes and endless reduction has transformed the cherished tenants of Islam into instruments of militant expediency and moral bankruptcy. For over two decades, in books like The Future of Muslim Civilisation (1979) and Islamic Futures: The Shape of Ideas to Come (1985), I have been arguing that Muslim civilisation is now so fragmented and shattered that we have to rebuild it, ‘brick by brick’. It is now obvious that Islam itself has to be rethought, idea by idea. We need to begin with the simple fact that Muslims have no monopoly on truth, on what is right, on what is good, on justice, nor the intellectual and moral reflexes that promote these necessities. Like the rest of humanity, we have to struggle to achieve them using our own sacred notions and concepts as tools for understanding and reshaping contemporary reality.

The way to a fresh, contemporary appreciation of Islam requires confronting the metaphysical catastrophes and moving away from reduction to synthesis. Primarily, this requires Muslims, as individuals and communities, to reclaim agency: to insist on their right and duty, as believers and knowledgeable people, to interpret and reinterpret the basic sources of Islam: to question what now goes under the general rubric of Shari`ah, to declare that much of fiqh is now dangerously obsolete, to stand up to the absurd notion of an Islam confined by a geographically bound state. We cannot, if we really value our faith, leave its exposition in the hands of under educated elites, religious scholars whose lack of comprehension of the contemporary world is usually matched only by their disdain and contempt for all its ideas and cultural products. Islam has been permitted to languish as the professional domain of people more familiar with the world of the eleventh century than the twenty-first century we now inhabit. And we cannot allow this class to bury the noble idea of Ijtihad into frozen and distant history.

Ordinary Muslims around the world who have concerns, questions and considerable moral dilemmas about the current state of affairs of Islam must reclaim the basic concepts of Islam and reframe them in a broader context. Ijma must mean consensus of all citizens leading to participatory and accountable governance. Jihad must be understood in its complete spiritual meaning as the struggle for peace and justice as a lived reality for all people everywhere. And the notion of the Ummah must be refined so it becomes something more than a mere reductive abstraction. As Anwar Ibrahim has argued, the Ummah is not ‘merely the community of all those who profess to be Muslims’; rather, it is a ‘moral conception of how Muslims should become a community in relation to each other, other communities and the natural world’. Which means Ummah incorporates not just the Muslims, but justice seeking and oppressed people everywhere. In a sense, the movement towards synthesis is an advance towards the primary meaning and message of Islam – as a moral and ethical way of looking and shaping the world, as a domain of peaceful civic culture, a participatory endeavour, and a holistic mode of knowing, being and doing.


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Ziauddin Sardar: A cultural critic, Muslim scholar, author of many books, and editor of Futures: The Journal of Planning, Policy, and Futures Studies. His newest book is Ziauddin Sardar's A-Z of Postmodern Life (Visions Publications, Feb 2002). He is based in London.

Rethinking Islam
Dotting the I’s and Crossing the T’s

Ahmed Kamal Sultan
STARLAB- Department of Electrical Engineering
Stanford University
21/10/2002

In his article “Rethinking Islam”, Prof. Ziauddin Sardar called for new Ijtihad to reform Islam. No one can argue that a wide opening of the door of Ijtihad is crucial for the Muslim Ummah. Yet, it is legitimate to question what is meant by Ijtihad and if there are any boundaries for the process.

Does Islam really need to be rebuilt from scratch?

To elaborate on these important points, we need first to define Ijtihad.

Ijtihad: Ijtihad is the most important source of Islamic law next to the Qur’an and Sunnah. The main difference between Ijtihad and the revealed sources lies in the fact that Ijtihad is a continuous process of interpretation and reasoning while the Divine revelation and the Prophetic legislation and oral traditions are immutable. In this sense, Ijtihad will continue to play its role as the main instrument of applying the Divine message in the continuously changing conditions of the Muslim Ummah in its aspirations to truth, and justice.

Ijtihad can be defined as the serious effort by a jurist to infer, with a degree of probability, a religious ruling from its detailed evidence in the authentic religious sources. The question arises to what is and what is not amenable to Ijtihad.

The Definitive and Speculative Evidences:

The Qur’anic verses and the Prophetic Sayings can have definitive or speculative meaning. The definitive texts have meanings that no two persons with sound intellect and proper understanding of Arabic language could disagree upon. These texts comprise the eternal and immutable core of the Islamic belief. They are not open to Ijtihad or abrogation lest Islam will cease to be a religion in the first place.

They are only subject to operationalization and measures of becoming practical matters linked carefully to codes of ethics, norms and/or laws. To be more accurate regarding the definitive and the speculative, one should mention that one verse or Prophetic saying can have a definitive level of meaning, and a speculative one has different horizons of significance. A very simple example is the verse of ablution:

“O you who believe! When you prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles.” (Qur’an, 5:6).

The text is clear that ablution is a perquisite for prayer. Ablution consists of washing the face, washing arms, rubbing the head, and washing the feet. This is the definitive level of the verse. The speculative level may pertain to: a) Whether the order is obligatory or not. b) The arms are to be washed to the elbows. Are the elbows included or not? c) The feet are to be washed to the ankles. Are the ankles included or not? d) Should the whole head be rubbed or only a portion? So, there are several definitive rulings that are indisputable. Nonetheless, due to the very nature of language, there is another level of multi-layered reasoning that requires diligent analysis.

Ijtihad: Scholarly and Methodological Conditions:

The next question that arises: are there any rules of interpretation to be followed and obeyed while undertaking Ijtihad or is it a completely subjective process? The Rules of Interpretation: Ijtihad requires interpreting the sacred texts and interpretation should have rules lest it would run the risk of being a simple exercise of capricious whimsy. I will not approach this subject in the traditional way of the books on Usul al-Fiqh (The Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence) by stating the rules by which one should abide while pursuing Ijtihad. I would rather define what interpretation should be by stating what it should not be. My idea is that any epistemological discourse whose inevitable result is the nullification of the foundations of Islam is completely unacceptable and actually amounts to forsaking Islam itself. This is a legitimate concern that surely is present in any discipline, religion or ideology.

I will mention four discourses of this type: a) The most radical discourse aimed at undermining Islam and impairing its foundations is the idea that the Qur’an is a historical product, i.e. the verses are revealed to deal with specific socio-historical circumstances and may not be applicable in modern life. The “fundamentalist secularists” who adopt this approach, in order to evade a prompt rejection of their ideas, argue that, “…it is the spirit of the verses that is valid for all times in all places. Every generation of Muslims should give them new meanings that suit their age.”

Yet, if the relevance and universality of the message for all times and places was of that liquid nature, I would argue that any text or message could fit it. Here religion looses any distinctive nature and the essence and wisdom of divine revelation becomes subject to relativism and subjectivity. There are Divinely inspired transcendental constants in Islam that are eternally and ubiquitously valid. Validity stems from relevance and compatibility with essential human nature and welfare of mankind.

Historicizing Islam:


Now, let us investigate where this discourse of relativization and historicity can lead to. The pre-Islamic Arabs had the habit of drinking wine till they became fully intoxicated. In modern ages, humans are educated and rational and can control their intake of wine without losing control. So, there is no harm in drinking some wine if one remains sober!! Almsgiving (zakah) is not necessary since the nation state collects taxes from people! Fasting was prescribed to curb the desires of those lusty Arabs of the seventh century; nowadays fasting hinders productivity and thus should be abrogated or removed to the month in the Gregorian Calendar with the shortest day! Interest-based (usurious) economy is crucial for modern capitalist economy. The “public” interest of people requires lifting the ban on usury. Pilgrimage was for those Arabs who entered Islam while believing in the magical powers of stones. Islam could not have prohibited Arabs from visiting Ka`bah.

Nonetheless, after the widespread of rationality and enlightenment, there is no need to adhere to the idolatrous practices that were allowed for those naive ignorant Arabs of the desert! Woman should not obey the Islamic dress code. Working and active women in the modern world should not be burdened by this regulation! Capital punishment is the epitome of savagery and barbarity. It was just mentioned in Qur’an to deter people. It was just given as an option not an obligation! The same applies to the prescribed penalties of theft and fornication. Amputating hands and flogging are a flagrant violation of the United Nations convention of human rights! Ablution was for those dirty Arabs who lived in the desert in the seventh century. After the advancement of civilization and the clean environment in offices and houses there is not need to repeat it before every single prayer.

In short, since everything was revealed to those backward Arabs of the past, it must be replaced by more modern rulings (mainly liberal capitalist). Obviously, the result will just be the Western secular laws and social habits. The vast majority of those who advocate the historicity of the Qur’an have fully assimilated the Western epistemological and philosophical assumptions. Direct confrontation and military conquest are now secondary tools to dominate cultures and markets. Habits and lifestyles are primary target of change in order to guarantee an open market based on a free consumer who has an open mind. Too open to be affected by any ways of life or beliefs that would set principals contradicting the calculations of market profit...and too open to feel empowered vis a vis the market rules and dynamics.

The most striking observation one finds in their writings, is that they want to change the specific Islamic rulings that the Western scholars always criticize or belittle. If their attempts are really sincere and aim to develop and reform the Islamic Jurisprudence and saving the Muslim Ummah from its perils, they should consider Islam itself as the ultimate point of reference. Western paradigms and discourses can be invoked in logistics and procedures as a human experience one can learn from, like, for example, how to implement the Islamic principle of Shura (consultation) through a pluralist party system. Nevertheless, the West need not be our point of reference. The divine origin of Islam should not be subject to man-made secular measures to re-formulate it to match them. The opposite should be the case. Any Muslim must believe in this for Allah, Glorified be He, says in the Qur’an that He has perfected our religion: Islam.

Deconstructing the Qur’an:

Recently there has been an ongoing debate regarding analyzing the Qur’an as a simple text with the tools of the deconstruction school of thought. This was advocated as a reformation and an innovative way of reading the Text. The Divine nature of the Islamic text was ignored and it was treated as a man-made text with no special nature nor purpose. Language here was also itself considered a man-made device and all the rules of understanding related to it subject to change and addition. For example, Derrida’s Deconstruction is a theory of understanding the text (philosophical, legal, fictional, or scientific) by which a reading can attempt to undermine and refute the text’s structure and meaning. But what would be left if we de-sanctify the Qur’an and deconstruct it? The theories that regard texts as an authorial enterprise that is influenced by the text itself, the author, and the reader cannot be applied to the Qur’an. The reason is that Qur’an is the immutable word of Allah, Glorified be He, and Allah has all the attributes of perfection. Allah, Glorified be He, says:

“Do they not consider the Qur’an (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.” (Qur’an, 4:82).

Contradictions and inconsistencies can be found in human texts but by no way they can be found in a preserved Divine text like the Qur’an. The role of reason is to understand the text and explore the structural coherence of the text and see the explicit differences of meaning as related to different contexts the text can be applied to not as implicit or internal contradictions in the text itself.

There is always a temptation to imitate the Western scholars and implement their discourses as if they are universally valid. The current state of backwardness of the Muslim Ummah and the apparent superiority of the West stimulate many scholars to adhere blindly to Western paradigms and methodologies. “Reforming” the Qur’an is another discourse nullifying the Islamic Shari`ah. Also casting doubts on the way the Sunnah was transmitted and/or discrediting the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who are well known for their numerous narrations like Abu Hurayrah. The Qur’an is replete with verses commanding the Muslims to obey the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:

“O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and make not vain your deeds!” (Qur’an, 47:33).

The Sunnah expounds the Qur’an, specifies its general, qualifies its absolute, and elaborates on its horizons of meaning. For example, the Qur’an instructs Muslims to pray. The Sunnah determines the number of prayers, their manner, and their times. Ignoring the Sunnah under the pretext of the sufficiency of the Qur’an is contrary to the Qur’an itself which says:

“(We sent them) with clear signs and scriptures and We have sent down unto you (also) the Message; that you explain clearly to men what is sent for them, and that they may give thought.” (Qur’an, 16:44) and

“We have sent among you a messenger of your own, rehearsing to you Our signs, and purifying you, and instructing you in scripture and wisdom, and in new knowledge.” (Qur’an, 2:151).

These are clear verses on the role of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in explaining the Divine message and thus the crucial importance of the Sunnah.

No reasonable Muslim opposes the idea as well as the fact that Muslims should, are, and have been reforming their understanding of Islam, but we surely need always to dot the i’s and cross the t’s so as not to loose the essence of Islam in that crucial process, with all the assumed good intentions!


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* A cultural critic, Muslim scholar, author of many books, and editor of Futures: The Journal of Planning, Policy, and Futures Studies. He is based in London

Seorang bapa pulang ke rumah dlm keadaan letih disambut oleh anak lelakinya yg berusia 7 tahun dimuka pintu.

Anak : Ayah, boleh tak Amin tanya satu soalan?
Ayah : "Ya...nak tanya apa?"

Anak : "Berapa pendapatan ayah sejam?"

Ayah : "Itu bukan urusan kamu, buat apa nak sibuk

tanya?" si ayah mula menengking.

Anak : "Amin saja nak tahu ayah. Tolonglah bagitahu berapa ayah dapat sejam bekerja di pejabat?" si anak mula merayu.

Ayah : "20 ringgit sejam, kenapa nak tahu?"

Anak : "Oh..." si anak menjawab sambil tunduk ke bawah.

Kemudian memandang wajah ayahnya sambil bertanya, "Ayah....boleh tak Amin nak pinjam 10 ringgit dari ayah?". Si Ayah mula menjadi berang dan berkata, " oh, itu ke sebabnya kamu tanya pasal pendapatan ayah, kamu nak buat apa nak mintak sampai 10 ringgit? nak beli barang mainan lagi? Jangan nak membazir. Ayah kerja penat-penat bukan utk buang duit sebarangan. Sekarang pergi balik bilik dan tidur, dah lewat dah ni..."

Kanak-kanak 7 tahun itu terdiam dan perlahan-lahan melangkah kembali ke bilik tidurnya. Si ayah duduk di atas sofa dan mula memikirkan mengapa anaknya yg sekecil itu memerlukan duit sebanyak itu. Kira-kira dua jam kemudian si ayah kembali tenang dan terfikir kemungkinan anaknya benar-benar memerlukan duit untuk keperluan di sekolahnya kerana anaknya tidak pernah meminta wang sebanyak itu sebelum ini.

Dengan perasaan bersalah si ayah melangkah menuju bilik anaknya dan membuka pintu. Didapati anaknya masih belum tidur. "Kalau kamu betul-betul perlu duit, nah ambillah duit 10 ringgit ini", berkata si ayah. Kanak-kanak itu segera bangun dan tersenyum girang. "Terimakasih banyak ayah", katanya begitu gembira.

Kemudian dia tercari-cari sesuatu di bawah bantalnya dan mengeluarkan sekeping note 10 ringgit yg sudah renyuk. Bila ternampak duit itu si ayah kembali berang. "Kenapa kamu mintak duit lagi sedangkan kamu dah ada duit sebanyak itu? Dan dari mana kamu dapat duit di bawah bantal itu?" jerkah si ayah. Si anak tunduk tidak berani merenung wajah ayahnya. "Duit ini Amin kumpul dari belanja sekolah yang ayah beri tiap hari. Amin minta lagi 10 ringgit dari ayah sebab duit yang Amin ada sekarang tidak cukup", jawab si anak perlahan.

"Tak cukup untuk beli apa??", soal balik si ayah. "Ayah, sekarang Amin sudah ada 20 ringgit. Ayah ambil duit ni. Amin nak beli sejam dari masa ayah. Amin nak ayah balik kerja awal besok. Amin rindu nak makan malam bersama ayah. ", jawab si anak tanpa berani memandang wajah ayahnya.

Umm 'Umara
The Prophet's Shield at Uhud

By Hamzah Qassim

Umm 'Umara was blessed with many honours, amongst these
her presence at Uhud, al-Hudaybiyya, Khaybar, the Fulfilled
Umra, Hunayn, and the Battle of Yamama. But her most noble
role came about during the battle of Uhud.

Umm 'Umara set out to the battle with her husband, Ghaziya, and
her two sons. Her inhad been to give water to the wounded, but
Allah had planned for her a more rewarding role.

So she set out with her family with a waterskin, and arrived at the
battle field during the beginning of the day. The Muslims had the
upper hand, and she went to see how the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w) was. But then the Muslims committed a fatal error -
seeing the Quraysh on the retreat, they ran towards the booty,
ignoring the Prophet's command to remain on the hill. Khalid bin
Walid, (who hadn't embraced Islam yet), seeing the open flank,
made a charge against the Muslims and suddenly the tide had
swung towards the Quraysh. The Muslims panicked and began
to flee, leaving behind only the Prophet (s.a.w) and a handful of
his Companions. Among these was Umm Umara.

Seeing the Muslims flee, Umm Umara ran to the defense of the
Prophet and took up arms, along with her husband and two sons.
The Prophet noticed that she had no shield, and so said to one of
the retreating men: "Give your shield to the one who is fighting."
So he handed her the shield, and she defended the Prophet of
Allah with it, using also the bow and arrow along with a sword.
She was attacked by horsemen, but never wavered nor felt fear.
She later boldly claimed, "If they had been on foot as we were, we
would have trounced them, Allah willing."

Abdullah ibn Zayed, her son, was wounded during the battle. His
wound bled profusely. His mother ran to him and bandaged his
wounds, and then commanded him, "Go and fight the people, my
son!" The Prophet (s.a.w) admired her sense of sacrifice, and
commended her, "Who can endure what you can endure, Umm
'Umara!"

Suddenly, the man who had struck her son advanced, and the
Prophet called out to her, "This is the one who struck your son."
She bravely confronted the man, who her very son described as
being like a great tree trunk, and struck at his leg, sending him to
his knees. The Messenger of Allah smiled so much his teeth
became visible, and remarked, "You have retaliated, Umm
'Umara!". Having finished him off, the Prophet then said "Praise
be to Allah who has given you victory and delighted you over your
enemy and let you enjoy your revenge directly."

At one stage, the Prophet (s.a.w) was left alone, so taking the
opportunity, the enemy Ibn Qumay'a charged at the Prophet,
shouting "Show me Muhammad! I will not be saved if he is
saved!" So Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr, along with some other of the
Companions, dashed to the protection of the Prophet. Umm
'Umara was among them, and began fiercely striking at the
enemy of Allah, even though he was wearing double armour. Ibn
Qumay'a managed to strike a blow at her neck, leaving a serious
wound. The Prophet quickly called on her son "Your mother! Your
mother! Bind her wound! May Allah bless you, the people of a
house! The stand of your mother is better than the stand of
so-and-so. May Allah have mercy on you, people of a house! The
stand of your foster father is better than the stand of so-and-so.
May Allah have mercy on you, people of a house!" Umm 'Umara,
seeing the Prophet's pleasure on her determination and valour,
earnestly requested "Ask Allah to make us your companions in
the Garden!" So he said "O Allah, make them my companions in
the Garden." And this was the desire of Umm 'Umara, to which
she replied "I do not care what afflicts me in this world!"

That day, she received thirteen wounds, and was treated for her
neck wound for a complete year. She also participated in the
Battle of Yamama, where she received eleven wounds and lost
her hand.

Her courageous character earned her the respect of all the
Companions, especially the Khalifa's who would visit her and pay
special attention to her.

'Umar bin Khattab (r.a.a) was brought some silk garments which
contained excellent quality material. One of the people remarked
"This garment is worth such-and-such (meaning how expensive
it was). You should send it to the wife of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar,
Safiyya bint Abi 'Ubayd." 'Umar (r.a.a) however did not desire
such a garment for his daughter in law. "That is something which
I will not give to Ibn 'Umar. I will send it to someone who is more
entitled to it than her - Umm 'Umara Nusayba bint Ka'b. On the
day of Uhud, I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) say,
'Whenever I looked to the right or left I saw her fighting in front of
me'."

This was the life of Umm 'Umara, the warrior who stood when
many fled, who sent her wounded son back into the thick of the
battle, and was prepared to lose her life to save the Prophet's. In
return, she received the du'a for the Prophet's companionship in
Paradise.

May Allah bless our women with such courage, self-sacrifice and
perseverance.

Mursyid Am Ikhwan Muslimin dalam keadaan koma

Wednesday, October 30 @ 10:09:16 MYT


KAHERAH, 30 Okt - Mursyid Am Ikhwan Al-Muslimin, Ust. Mustafa Masyhur berada dalam keadaan koma akibat pendarahan serius di otak pada petang Selasa 29/10/2002.

Beliau telah dimasukkan ke Hospital Antarabangsa An-Nuzhah di Kaherah.
Sumber perubatan di hospital tersebut berkata kepada wartawan Islam-online.net "Keadaan Mustafa Masyhur yang berumur 83 tahun kritikal."

Setakat ini belum ada apa-apa pengesahan dari Jamaah Ikhwan Al-Muslimin mengenai keadaan kesihatan Mursyid.

Ust. Mustafa Masyhur dilahirkan pada tahun 1919 di kampung Sa'diyyin di Wilayah Timur.

Mendapat Ijazah dari Fakulti Sains Universiti Kaherah pada tahun 1942 dan bertugas di Jabatan Kaji Cuaca pada tahun yang sama.

Menganggotai Ikhwan Al-Muslimin pada akhir tahun 30-an. Menjadi anggota Tanzim Khas Jamaah ketika sempurna disusun pada awal tahun 40-an.

Mustafa Masyhur dituduh di dalam kes yang dikenali pada tahun 1948 dengan nama "Kereta Jeep" dan dimasukkan ke dalam penjara selama 3 tahun sehingga dibebaskan oleh Mahkamah pada tahun 1951.

Beliau ditangkap semula pada tahun 1954 bersama sebilangan besar pemimpin Ikhwan selepas peristiwa Al-Mansyiah kerana Presiden Jamal Abd. Nasir menuduh Ikhwan merancang melakukan percubaan membunuhnya.

Mustafa Masyhur dihukum penjara 10 tahun dan keluar pada tahun 1964 kemudian ditangkap semula selepas beberapa bulan pada awal tahun 1965 bersama kumpulan Sayyid Qutb.

Tidak ada apa-apa tuduhan terhadap beliau di dalam kes ini tetapi terus merengkok di dalam penjara sehingga dikeluarkan pada tahun 1971 selepas Sadat memberikan pengampunan kepada tahanan politik.

Beliau menyertai pengasasan semula Ikhwan Muslimin selepas Omar Tilmesani dipilih menjadi Mursyid Am. Mustafa terus bekerja bersama Omar Tilmesani sehingga tahun 1984.

Beliau kemudiannya bermusafir ke Kuwait sebelum sekumpulan pemimpin Ikhwan di tangkap pada bulan September 1981, seterusnya ke Jerman dan tinggal di sana selama 5 tahun dan berperanan membentuk Tanzim Ad-Dauli Ikhwan serta meletakkan undang-undang amnya.

Mustafa kembali ke Mesir pada tahun 1986 selepas kewafatan Omar Tilmesani. Beliau ketika itu dilantik menjadi Naib Mursyid Am kepada Hamid Abu Nasr.

Pada tahun 1996 selepas kewafatan Abu Nasr, beliau dipilih di dalam aai'ah secara terang-terangan dinamakan Bai'ah Al-Maqabir sebagai Mursyid Am Jamaah.

Perlantikannya diperbaharui pada bulan Februari 2002 untuk tempoh masa seterusnya selama 6 tahun.

Ia adalah mengikut peraturan baru yang diletakkan oleh Ikhwan menghadkan tempoh seseorang Mursyid berada di atas jawatannya selama 6 tahun dan boleh diperbaharui tanpa had maksimum.

http://www.harakahdaily.net/article.php?sid=3181&mode=thread&order=0

Ramadan: Remembrance of Leadership

"My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential
persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but
he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the
religious and secular levels."

Michael H. Hart, "The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in
History"

"This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, people and
dynasties but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world;
and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the
ideas, the beliefs and souls.Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator,
warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult
without images, the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one
spiritual empire, that is Muhammad."

French scholar, Lamartine

"I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because
of its wonderful vitality. I have studied him, the wonderful man, and
in my opinion far from being the anti-Christ he must be called the
savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume
the dictatorship of the modern world he would succeed in solving the
problems in a way that would bring much-needed peace and happiness."

British scholar, George Bernard Shaw

As Salaam Alaikum. (Peace Be Upon You). I think that no better
time exists for Muslims to invite the world to witness the beauty of
Islam than during the ninth month of the lunar calendar: the month and
the experience of Ramadan. It was during this month more than a
millennium ago that a man, sitting alone in a desert cave, received a
spiritual revelation that has swept like a timeless wind through all
manner of people and civilizations, finding itself today taking root in
perhaps mankind's noblest social experiment: America.

As this nation gropes for direction and definition in this era
when life is subject to forces as beyond our control as a crazed
sniper, it seems only fitting that Muslims allow this coming November,
Ramadan 1423, to serve to remind us and the world about the guidance to
mankind - the leadership- Islam offers.

This reminder seems necessary in order for the Islamic community
in America to see itself and its mission beyond Muslims. Whether it
is enlightening this country about the cultures and civilizations
abroad to shape and influence foreign policy, or leading a national
charge to ameliorate America's persistent race problem, or helping
Americans to transcend their fears, Muslims must come to the fore of
leadership in the United States. For we have been entrusted with an
example that is unparalleled in human history.

"If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results
are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any
great man in modern history with Muhammad." [Lamartine]

The noble path of this universal leadership requires that Muslims
in America not be intimidated. We cannot exercise leadership in
America's organizational culture if we fear supporting Muslim
organizations. Leadership demands that despite the difficult
environment that has driven many Muslims inward, we must not turn our
backs on those organizations that seek or need our help and which form
the foundation for Islam in this land.

Ramadan should remind us that it was during this sacred month that
a small band defeated a giant army in a little desert area known as
Badr, instilling forever in them and those that followed unconditional
faith in God's power over all human affairs. To protect this then
tiny faith that later elevated the entirety of civilization, this
meager group committed all their worldly possessions and their lives,
believing that there was no separation between their individually
chosen religion and their earthly community responsibilities.

"It is the unparalleled combination of secular and religious influence
which I feel entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential
single figure in history." [M.Hart]

Let this Ramadan serve to remind every Muslim in America of our
leadership charge:

"[To] rebuild an idea of Islam which includes justice, integrity,
tolerance and the quest for knowledge - the classic Islamic
civilization - not just the insistence on rituals; not just the five
pillars of Islam but the entire building."

Dr. Akbar S. Ahmed

May Allah reward us all in the blessed days of Ramadan. Wa Salaam.


Eric Erfan Vickers
Executive Director
American Muslim Council

None but the wearer knows where the shoe pinches

(Wednesday 24th July, after Maghrib)

*The path towards Allah*

Islam is submission to reality. It is a recognition and acceptance of
the way things really are and not as they appear. Everything is in
submission to Allah. It is only men and jinn who can rebel wittingly
or unwittingly.

Over fourteen hundred years ago, this path of Islam was renewed for a
final time, to mark the entry into the last stage of human experience
in this lower realm of Dunya. It was renewed by the best of creation,
the prophet Muhammad saw as the final and the seal of all previous
Prophets, upon them all be peace. He was its greatest wayfarer who
never deviated from its course. His blessed footprints remain clear
and unchanged for anyone desiring to set out on that path.

This path is the path to the realisation of taqwa, conscious
awareness of our Lord. Taqwa is the reason we were created and the
means by which we ensured continued succour from our Creator. Allah
says, "O humanity, worship your Lord, who created you and those who
went before you, in order for you to realise taqwa." This is the
first command in the entire Qur'an. The first prohibition is "And do
not set up false gods beside Allah, and you are aware of what you are
doing."

The self is the greatest false god worshipped alongside Allah: "Have
you not seen the one who took his desire as his god?" Struggle
against the self in the means by which we strike down the false god.
Our exemplars are the great iconoclasts of the past, our master
Ibrahim and his greatest descendant, Muhammad, upon both of them be
prayers and peace.

This struggle against the self is the ancient way of the Prophets. It
is the way of submission to the will of Allah who has consistently
revealed His will mercifully throughout human history. Our God is
mighty and transcendent, above and beyond the pettiness of this lower
world, but He is also a personal and caring God who sustains and
nourishes His creation at every level of existence: "O humanity, what
has caused you to be deluded about your generous Lord who has created
you and made you so perfectly proportioned and fashioned you in any
form He chose?"

*Our acute condition*

Yet now, the present state of the people of this ancient path is as
you see. We are powerless, bereft, morally bankrupt, and objects of
history unlike our pious predecessors who were the subjects of
history, engaging the world with the sword of truth and dispelling
darkness with the power of their spiritual light. We are sad,
anxious, impotent, indolent, debt-ridden, cowardly, miserly, and
overpowered by the worst elements of humanity. It is as if we never
recited or even heard the prayer of our Prophet s.a.w. which he
himself recited every morning: "O Allah, I seek refuge in you from
grief and anxiety, impotence and indolence, cowardice and
miserliness, and from being overcome by debt and overpowered by men."

The question arises, "How did you come into this state?" and the
answer to that enables us to ask another more important
question: "How do we get out of this state?" The response to the
first question is painful and complex; subsequently, the answer to
the second question is also complicated and drawn out. However, we
can bypass all the ramifications of both answers and arrive at a
simple yet profound summative response to both questions: "Allah does
not change a people until they change what is in themselves."

According to Imam Abu Talib al-Makki in his Nourishment of the
Hearts, the beauty of this verse is that it comprises twofold
meaning. First, it means that Allah does not remove blessings that He
has bestowed upon a people until they go from a state of obedience to
disobedience. This is the response to the first question: we got into
this state due to our disobedience. In other words, we changed our
guidance for misguidance and Allah left us to ourselves.

The second meaning of this verse is that Allah does not change a
people's outward state of abasement, humiliation and subjugation
until they change what is in themselves. This answers our second
question: to get out of this state, we must consciously move from a
state of disobedience to a state of obedience.

We must recognise that Allah gave us guidance through His Messenger
s.a.w. and while we adhered to that guidance in large numbers, we
were under the protection of Allah. As those numbers diminished
throughout our history, the enemies of Islam from within and without
began to make inroads into the heart of the Muslim lands - all the
while, the enemies from within worked on the heart.

Now, both the heartland and the hearts are under the oppression of
the inward and outward enemies of Islam, who, for the first time in
the history of humanity, have made a powerful alliance in which the
outward technology facilitates the inward corruption of the hearts.

*The evil alliance*

These enemies set up schools to inculcate their ideas and ways into
the hearts of the young. They undermined the spiritual authority of
the scholars of Islam, making them appear backward and foolish as
their religious cosmologies paled before the impressive pillars of
modern science and industry. They then began to remove the powerful
cultural distinctions of Muslims that had flourished for centuries by
replacing them with the accruements of Western Christian culture.

Slowly, the dress of Muslims changed; the veils fell from the heads
of our women and the beards from the faces of our men. Robes and
modest dress were replaced first by ridiculed brimmed hats, starched
suits, and ties, and finally by jeans and t-shirts, clothes that reek
of infidelity and shamelessness, causing Muslims to appear not as
Caliph of God but as wage-slaves of the Western factories sprouting
up all over the world. Sandals, so beloved to the Prophet of God
s.a.w. were replaced with shoes the like of Nike shoes with a pagan
swoosh to remind literate people of the idolatrous roots of the
culture that could produce such ugly footwear.

One need only to look at photographs taken by the first Europeans to
the lands of Islam one hundred years ago to see the nobility of
Muslim dress. The American poet Ezra Pound remarked that he had no
idea of the force that was unleashed from the Arabian Peninsula in
the Seventh Century that led to a thousand mosques in Cordoba, Spain,
but he caught a glimpse of it in the way a Muslim walked in Tangier
in 1913. Compare that description to present Tangier teeming with
hungry waifs begging for food from Western tourists.

*The changes in daily life*

Food is the foundation of behaviour according to our scholars'
understanding of Allah's words, "O you Messengers, eat of pure things
and do righteous deeds." Pure food was replced with fast food made
with haste and waste, two attributes of the devil. Coca-cola replaced
natural milk, water and juice with its blasphemous claim of
being 'The Real Thing.' McDonalds, with its mass-produced, disease-
ridden, pathogenic food, began to appear everywhere including Makkah
and Madinah, and Muslims, who for centuries ate food filled with
baraka made by people with loving hearts who found joy in feeding
others, lined up to consume food unfit for even dogs to eat.

Cars, noise, filth, pollution, and garbage fill our cities which once
resonated with the sweet sounds of the human voice calling others to
pray, kept clean by people whose religion was based upon cleanliness.
Cities that were once the centres of the most stunning architecture,
gardens, and parks that were the envy of the known world, were torn
down only to be replaced by the most hideous and poorly designed
cement houses and buildings ready to collapse at the slightest
tremor. House once filled with the remembrance of Allah and love of
His Prophet s.a.w. and his family, with the laughter of children, and
with the presence of guests, extended family, and friends became
filled with empty films and the sound of television programme
depicting littl more than blatant perfidy and perversity.

Beautiful and inspiring madrassa where the love of Allah and His
Messenger s.a.w. were instilled in the hearts of the students along
with ample understanding of the deen of Allah and with memorisation
of His Book and the sciences of humanity were replaced by ugly
secular institutions. These institutions were designed to instill in
people a disdain for the past and boredom that would linger long
after the last empty book was closed and a career of servile wage-
slavery begun.

*This is our state*

This is our state. Everywhere, division reigns supreme; distrust,
suspicion, and conspiracy theories that blame everyone but our
ownselves for our present condition linger in our communities. We
live under the yoke of the worst tyrannies that have instilled in our
people and indolence and lack of effort that makes them the least
productive people on the planet. The rleigion has become a refuge for
angry youth who turn into a political platform to rage against
the 'injustices' of the West when they should instead remind people
what the visionary Malik bin Nabi said over half a century ago: he
said that the West is nothing other than a scavenger on an already
moribund carcass.

Neither the Americans nor the Western people are our enemies. The
makority of these people would readily embrace Islam if they knew
what it truly is and recognised that in it lies the spiritual power
to reinvigorate their now sick and dying Roman civilisation. There
are powerful and nefarious elements in every society opposed to
islam, but they are a minority and in no way represent the interests
of their people. As long as Muslims attack the 'nebulous' West as the
sole enemy of Islam, we will reveal our own bankruptcy at presenting
the message of Islam to these people who, for the first time in their
history, are not only ready for this message but actually invite us
to use their airways to take it into their cars and homes.

Our Prophet s.a.w. asked only one thing if the Quraysh: "Leav me to
call the people to the truth", but they would not do that. We, on the
other hand, for the first time in history can do that, yet we are not
doing it.

This , having been said, nowhere denies the real enemies that islam
and Muslims have. They are demons of both men and jinn. They will not
sit by idly and allow us to spread Islam without efforts at
undermining us, causing dissension in our ranks and placing obstacles
in our path. They exist, and ultimately Islam confronts kufr in a
very real way.

Allah has made that the test to distinguish real believers from
hypocrites. But or Prophet s.a.w., in a sound hadith said, "Do not
seek confrontation with your enemies, but when it occurs be
steadfast." Needless to remind, Muslims are peace-loving, law-abiding
people, but Muslims are also commanded by Allah to be witnesses unto
humanity. In order to fulfill this, we must first be witnesses unto
ourselves: "Do you command people to righteousness and forget
yourselves?"

*Abandoning the rotten characteristics*

A part of our struggle is a commitment in breaking the cycle of the
past by abandoning previous methods that have proven to be
ineffective in changing our condition. Our families, schools,
governments, and communities have failed us completely.

The family is the first and most important unit of society and is
supposed to nurture and raise the next generation. Nowadays, it has
proven to produce a worse generation than the previous in many ways;
it has failed completely.

Schools, once meant to nourish and enhance the intellects, body and
souls of our youth, now dumb them down instead and prepare them only
for a life of mediocrity, servility, and hypocrisy with such jobs as
sitting behind a computer terminal. This is in no way implies that
all schooling is bad, but most of the present schools that exist are
more effective in stunting the intellect, spiritual and social growth
of our young than in nurturing them. There is ample evidence for that
statement.

Government, which at best has always been nothing more than benign,
is now encroaching on every aspect of our lives. In several
countries, the telephones of several millions people are monitored
using massive computers designed to pick up keywords such as 'jihad'
and 'Allah'.

We need to abandon all these corrupt methods at the same time we
abandon the rotten characteristics of our souls.

This struggle to find our path back is indeed arduous, and it would
appear to one looking at it that to arrive is too difficult for most
of us. Let us set out first and then see how long we can last. A
Divine wind will blow on your back, your feet will become light, and
wondrous fellow wayfarers will show up with sustenance just when you
thought you had none.

The way out of the spider's web in which we are all trapped that has
been woven by the master weavers of deception: nafs, Shaytan, hawa
and Dunya, is at the end of the Chapter in the Qur'an entitled the
Spider: "And those who struggle in Our way, we guide them to Our
path. Verily Allah is with those who perform acts of excellence and
beauty."

Our success is by Allah, upon Him we place our trust and to Him we
return.

Your poor brother in Cardiff

TARBIAH MELAHIRKAN MUKMIN MUJAHID

Tarbiyah Islamiyah bukan sekadar membentuk seseorang itu menjadi mukmin untuk dirinya, beramal dan bertaqwa seorang diri sahaja. Bahkan ia bertujuan melahirkan mukmin yang sedia berkhidmat, memberi sumbangan kepada Islam dan berjihad pada jalan Allah SWT.

Rasulullah SAW mendidik para sahabatnya sehingga menjadi mujahid yang kukuh iman mereka, sentiasa bersedia untuk berkorban dan berjihad pada jalan Allah. Apabila Islam berhajat kepada kerja dakwah, maka tampillah para da'i yang jujur, berani dan sabar menyampaikan risalah Islam melalui lisan dan contoh yang baik. Apabila Islam memerlukan pengorbanan harta benda, maka tampillah sahabat yang mempunyai harta kekayaan menyerahkan harta benda mereka kepada Rasulullah SAW dengan penuh keredhaan tanpa bakhil, seperti Abu Bakar al-Siddiq, Umar al-Khattab, Osman Ibn Affan dan Abdul Rahman al-'Auf.

Semua ini adalah peribadi yang lahir hasil daripada tarbiyah imaniyah yang berjalan di dalam madrasah Rasulullah SAW. Didikan Rasulullah SAW bukan untuk melahirkan ahli falsafah atau kumpulan sufi yang asyik dengan riadah ruhiyah semata-mata tanpa menghiraukan tipudaya musuh yang ingin menghancurkan Islam. Rasulullah SAW pernah menegur seorang lelaki yang ingin mengasingkan diri untuk beribadah dan meninggalkan jihad. Kata Rasulullah SAW kepada lelaki itu;

"Jangan kamu lakukan demikian. Sesungguhnya tegak seseorang kamu di jalan Allah (berjihad) adalah lebih utama daripada ia sembahyang dirumahnya selama 70 tahun. Apakah kamu tidak suka Allah mengamponkan kamu serta memasukkan kamu ke dalam syurga? Berjihadlah pada jalan Allah. Sesiapa yang berperang pada jalan Allah di atas belakang unta , maka wajiblah baginya syurga" (Hadis riwayat At-Tarmizi).

Hasan al-Banna pernah menyebutkan:

'Jihad adalab fardu yang berjalan terus sampai hari kiamat."

Sabda Rasuluilah SAW:

"Barangsiapa mati padahal dia tidak berjihad dan tidak pernah berniat berjihad, maka matinya seperti mati jahiliyah.'

Serendah-rendah tingkat iihad itu ialah dengan cara membantah di dalam hati, dan setinggi-tingginya ialah perang fi sabilillah kerana kebenaran. Di antara kedua-dua tingkatan itu terdapat cara-cara jihad yang lain seperti berjihad dengan lidah, berjihad dengan pena, berjihad dengan tangan dan bejihad dengan cara berani bercakap benar di hadapan raja yang zalim. Semua sifat dan tingkatan jihad tersebut akan lahir melalui proses Tarbiyah lmaniyah, lnsyaallah.

Proses Tarbiyah mesti berterusan

Proses Tarbiyah lmaniyah mestilah berterusan, tidak boleh diabaikan atau dihentikan separuh jalan atau ditamatkan. Silibusnya mencakupi sepanjang hayat seorang muslim.
Menurut Al Syekh Mustafa Masyur bahawa Tarbiyah dan pembersihan jiwa diumpamakan seperti makanan dan siraman bagi pokok yang disemai atau ditanam. Jika pokok tidak dibajai dan disirami sentiasa, maka ia akan layu dan kering. la akan terus hidup subur jika dibajai dan disirami. Demikianiah manusia. Hidup sebenarnya bagi individu atau jemaah adalah kerana adanya iman. Hidup manusia sebenarnya adalah hidup hatinya dengan keimanan bukan hidup jasad yang akan fana. Iman di dalam hati itulah yang akan melahirkan kehidupan yang bermakna. Hati perlu digilap seialu kerana ia mungkin berkarat. Rasuluilah SAW bersabda yang bermaksud:

"Sesunggubnya hati manusia itu berkarat seperti berkaratnya besi. Sababat-sababat bertanya: Apakah pengilapnya wahai Rasulullah?. Rasulullah menerangkan: membaca Al Quran dan mengingati maut (mati).' (HR Al Baibaqi)

lman yang berada dalam iiwa manusia sentiasa terdedah kepada kelunturan dan kelemahan kerana dijangkiti oleh berbagai penyakit seperti kesibukan urusan duniawi, dan lain-lain. Oleh itu kita perlu banyak memohon pertolongan kepada Allah SWT dengan sentiasa memperbaharui keimanan kita. Sabda Rasuluilah SAW:

"Sesungguhnya iman itu boleb lusuh seperti lusuhnya pakaian, maka bendaklah kamu memobon doa kepada Allah SWT supaya diperbaharui keimanan itu di dalam jiwa kamu.' (HR Al Hakim dan At Tabrani)

Faktor kejayaan Tarbiyah lslamiyah

Dr. Yusuf AI Qardhawi dalam bukunya, telah menjelaskan bahawa di sana ada beberapa faktor yang membantu menjayakan Tarbiyah lslamiyah, antaranya :

i. Keyakinan sepenuhnya bahawa tarbiyah adalah satu-satunya wasilah yang paling berkesan untuk merubah masyarakat, melahirkan rijal don seterusnya mencapai kejayaan. Melalui tarbiyahlah Rasuluilah SAW berjaya membentuk generasi rabbani sebagai contoh yang sukar ditandingi.

Jalan Tarbiyah adalah jalan yang jauh, jalan yang sukar dan jalan yang bertahap-tahap. Sedikit sekali yang mampu mengharungi jalan ini, tapi ianya satu-satunya jalan untuk sampai kepada kejayaan.

ii. Hanya Tarbiyah Islam yang mempunyai manhaj dan matlamat, lengkap dalam semua aspek dan jelas dari segi sumber, proses don perancangannya.

iii. Tarbiyah lslamiyah mampu mewujudkan suasana masyarakat yang harmoni. Suasana ini membantu setiap anggota masyrakat hidup secara Islam. Masyarakat dididik tentang cara memberi tunjuk ajar, cara bersimpati, memberi pertolongan dan sebagainya. Setiap anggota merasa sedikit dengan dirinya dan merasa banyak dengan sahabat. Dia merasa lemah bila bersendirian dan merasa kuat dengan berjemaah.

iv. Adanya pemimpin yang bersifat pendidik dengan fitrah yang Allah anugerahkan kepadanya. Pengetahuan dan pengalamannya menjadikan Tarbiyahnya lahir daripada hati sanubari yang bersih dan ikhlas kerana Allah SWT semata-mata. Setiap perkataan yang keluar dari hati akan masuk ke hati-hati yang lain tanpa sekatan. Perkataan yang hanya lahir dari lidah semata-mata tidak akan mampu melewati telinga pun. Perpatah ada menyatakan: "Orang yang kehilangan sesuatu benda nescaya ia tidak akan dapat memberikannya."

v. Mempunyai pendidik-pendidik yang ikhlas, berwibawa dan beramanah mengikut jalan pemimpin agong Muhammad SAW. Tidaklah dimaksudkan pendidik di sini mereka yang keluar dari pusal-pusat pengajian tinggi dalam bidang tarbiyah atau pendidikan, dengan ijazah masters atau PhD. Yang dimaksud dengan pendidik di sini ialah mereka yang mempunyai keimanan yang tinggi, kerohanian yang kuat, jiwa yang bersih, kemahuan yang kental, simpati yang luas dan kewibawaan yang memberi kesan kepada orang lain. Dia mungkin seorang jurutera atau seorang pegawai biasa atau seorang peniaga atau seorang buruh yang tidak ada kaitan dengan prinsip-prinsip atau
sistem pendidikan.

vi. Menggunakan berbagai-bagai wasilah seperti kegiatan-kegiatan di dalam halaqat, usrah-usrah, dan katibah-katibah yang dijuruskan ke arah matlamat pembangunan insan muslim yang soleh dan sempurna.

PENUTUP

Menjadikan Islam sebagai satu alternatif penyelesaian kepada masalah umat manusia mestilah lahir daripada keyakinan yang berteraskan keimanan, bukan disebabkan kegagalan sistem sistem lain. Islam hanya boleh memainkan peranannya untuk menyelesaikan masalah manusia apabila ianya diambil secara syumul dalam bentuk konkrit. Oleh itu setiap pekerja (amilin) Islam mestilah dibentuk dan diproses berteraskan aqidah tauhid yang bersumberkan daripada Al Quran dan Sunnah Rasulullah SAW. Islam tidak akan dapat dibangunkan tanpa rijal (pahlawan). Rijal tidak dilahirkan tanpa melalui proses Tarbiyah. Dan Tarbiyah tidak akan memberi sebarang kesan tanpa penglibatan dan penghayatan yang bersungguh-sungguh daripada setiap individu. Adalah menjadi harapan dan keyakinan setiap muslim bahawa masa depan adalah milik Islam.

Tips 9 Jenis Tarbiyah
Sembilan aspek pendidikan bagi Muslim unggulan

Tak ada guru sehebat Nabi Muhammad Shalallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, dan tak ada murid sehebat para shahabat Radhiallaahu 'anhum. Ummat ini tidak akan menjadi baik kecuali dengan apa yang telah membuat baik generasi pertamanya itu. Nabi sebagai guru terbaik tidak berkata-kata, bersikap, dan bertindak kecuali dengan bimbingan dari Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala. Sedangkan para shahabat mengisi hari-harinya selama lebih 20 tahun dengan semua keteladanan gurunya itu secara kreatif dan independen.

Berbagai usaha dilakukan para ulama dari berbagai zaman untuk menggali dan merumuskan manhaj Rasulullah serta tahap-tahapnya mendidik Muslimin generasi pertama menjadi manusia-manusia unggulan sepanjang masa. Di antara para ulama agung itu adalah Ibnu Qayyim al-Jauziyah (lahir di Damaskus 691H). Hasan bin Ali Hasan al-Hijazy merangkum pemikiran Ibnu Qayyim yang tersebar itu dalam sebuah disertasi doktornya di Fakultas Ilmu-ilmu Sosial jurusan Tarbiyah Universitas Imam Muhammad bin Su'ud, Arab Saudi (Manhaj Tarbiyah Ibnu Qayyim, penerbit al-Kautsar, Jakarta, Pebruari 2001).

Di bawah ini adalah tips melaksanakan 9 jenis tarbiyah yang digali Ibnu Qayyim rangkuman Dr Hasan al-Hijazy itu.

1. Tarbiyah Imaniyah (mendidik iman)

Ada tiga sarana (wasilah) untuk mendidik iman. Pertama, selalu mentadabburi (mengamati, mempelajari, menghayati) tanda-tanda kekuasaan Allah Dzat Pencipta serta keluasan rahmat dan hikmah perbuatan-Nya. Tadabbur itu bisa dilakukan dengan penglihatan biasa (bashirah), bisa pula dengan penalaran akal sehat, dengan mentadabbur kekuasaan Allah, hasil-hasil ciptaan-Nya, gejala-gejala alam, kesempurnaan penciptaan manusia, juga ayat-ayat al-Qur'an.

Kedua, selalu mengingat kematian yang penuh kepastian. Ketiga, mendalami fungsi semua jenis ibadah ibadah sebagai salah satu cara mendidik iman. Caranya dengan banyak mengerjakan amal shalih yang sendi utamanya adalah keikhlasan; juga memperbanyak doa dan harapan kepada Allah semata; menghindari riya' dalam berkata dan bertindak; mencintai firman Allah; berkeyakinan bahwa kelak akan berjumpa langsung dengan Allah; terakhir, melanggengkan rasa syukur dalam keadaan apapun.

2. Tarbiyah Ruhiyah (mendidik ruhani)

Ibnu Qayyim mencatat 7 cara melakukan tarbiyah ruhiyah, yaitu: memperdalam iman kepada hal-hal (ghaib) yang dikabarkan Allah seperti azab kubur, alam barzakh, akhirat, hari perhitungan; memperbanyak dzikir dan shalat; melakukan muhasabah (introspeksi diri) setiap hari sebelum tidur; mentadabburi makhluk Allah yang banyak menyimpan bukti-bukti kekuasaan, ketauhidan, dan kesempurnaan sifat Allah; serta mengagungkan, menghormati, dan mengindahkan seluruh perintah dan larangan Allah.

3. Tarbiyah Fikriyah (mendidik pikiran)

Kegiatan tafakkur (merenung/berkontemplasi) menurut Ibnu Qayyim adalah menyingkap beberapa perkara dan membedakan tingkatannya dalam timbangan kebaikan dan keburukan. Dengan tafakkur, seseorang bisa membedakan antara yang hina dan yang mulia, dan antara yang lebih buruk dari yang buruk. Kata Imam Syafi'i, "Minta tolonglah atas pembicaraanmu dengan diam dan atas analisamu dengan tafakkur." Ibnu Qayyim mengomentari kalimat itu dengan berkata, "Yang demikian itu dikarenakan tafakkur adalah amalan hati, dan ibadah adalah amalan jawarih (fisik), sedang kedudukan hati itu lebih mulia daripada jawarih, maka amal hati lebih mulia daripada amal jawarih. Di samping itu, tafakkur bisa membawa seseorang kepada keimanan yang tak bisa diraih oleh amal semata." Sebaik-baik tafakkur adalah saat membaca al-Qur'an, yang akan mengantar manusia kepada ma'rifatullah (mengenal Allah).

4. Tarbiyah 'Athifiyah (mendidik perasaan)

Naluri (insting), kesedihan, kegembiraan, kemarahan, ketakutan, dan cinta merupakan perasaan-perasaan utama yang selalu mendera manusia. Sedangkan cinta adalah perasaan yang bisa menjadi motivasi paling kuat untuk menggerakkan manusia melakukan apapun. Maka Ibnu Qayyim memberi 11 resep menduduk perasaan cinta, yaitu: menanamkan perasaan yang kuat bahwa seorang hamba sangat membutuhkan Allah, bukan yang lain; meyakinkan diri sendiri bahwa satu hati yang menjadi milik manusia harus dipenuhi hanya oleh satu cinta; mengokohkan perasaan bahwa pemilik segala sesuatu di dunia ini Allah semata; beribadah kepada Allah dengan nama-namanya Yang Maha Awal, Maha Akhir, Maha Zhahir, dan Maha Bathin demi menumbuhkan rasa fakir (butuh) kepada Allah; bersikap tegas bahwa tak ada yang lebih tinggi dan mulia kedudukannya sesudah Allah; menanamkan ma'rifat tentang betapa banyak nikmat Allah dan betapa banyak kelemahan kita; menanamkan ma'rifat bahwa Allah-lah yang telah menciptakan semua perbuatan hambanya dan telah menanamkan iman di dalam hatinya; menanamkan perasaan butuh pada hidayah Allah dalam setiap detik kehidupannya; serius memanjatkan doa-doa yang meminta pertolongan Allah dalam menghadapi apapun; menanamkan kesadaran penuh akan nikmat dan karunia-Nya yang begitu banyak; serta, menanamkan ilmu bahwa cinta kepada Allah merupakan tuntutan iman.

5. Tarbiyah Khuluqiyah (mendidik akhlaq)

Misi utama Rasulullah di muka bumi untuk menyempurnakan akhlaq manusia. Contoh-contoh utama akhlaq mulia yang diharapkan dari seorang Muslim adalah sabar, syaja'ah (keberanian), al-itsar (mendahulukan kepentingan orang lain), syukur, jujur, dan amanah. Cara mendidikkan aklaq yang mulia itu adalah: pertama, mengosongkan hati dari iktikad dan kecintaan kepada segala hal yang bathil; kedua, mengaktifkan dan menyertakan seseorang dalam perbuatan baik (al-birr); ketiga, melatih dan membiasakan seseorang dalam perbuatan baik itu; keempat, memberi gambaran yang buruk tentang akhlaq tercela; dan kelima, menunjukkan bukti-bukti nyata sebagai buah dari akhlaq yang mulia.

6. Tarbiyah Ijtimaiyah (mendidik bermasyarakat)

Pendidikan kemasyarakatan yang baik adalah yang selalu memperhatikan perasaan orang lain. Seorang Muslim dalam masyarakat tidak dibenarkan menyakiti saudaranya walaupun hanya dengan menebarkan bau yang tidak enak. Bahkan Ibnu Qayyim berpendapat, tidak cukup hanya tidak menyakiti perasaan, seorang Muslim harus mampu membahagiakan dan menyenangkan hati saudara-saudara di sekitarnya.

7. Tarbiyah Iradiyah (mendidik cita-cita)

Tarbiyah iradiyah berfungsi mendidik setiap Muslim untuk memiliki kecintaan terhadap sesuatu yang dicita-citakan, tegar menanggung derita di jalannya, sabar dalam menempuhnya mengingat hasil yang kelak akan diraihnya serta melatih jiwa dengan kesungguhan dalam beramal. Tanda-tanda iradah yang sehat adalah kegelisahan hati dalam mencari keridhaan Allah dan persiapan untuk bertemu dengan-Nya. Seseorang yang iradah-nya sehat juga akan bersedih karena menghabiskan waktu untuk sesuatu yang tidak diridhai Allah. Sedangkan iradah yang rusak akan lahir dalam bentuk penyakit ilmu, pengetahuan, dan keahlian yang berlawanan dengan syari'ah Allah.

8. Tarbiyah Badaniyah (mendidik jasmani)

Seorang Muslim harus secara terprogram memperhatikan unsur badan, menjaganya dan memenuhi hak-haknya secara sempurna. Perhatian yang demikian akan mengantarkan seseorang pada ketaatan penuh dan kesempurnaan dalam menjalankan semua yang diwajibkan Allah kepadanya. Tarbiyah badaniyah ini meliputi: pembinaan badan di waktu sehat; pengobatan di waktu sakit; pemenuhan kebutuhan gizi; serta olah raga (tarbiyah riyadhah).

9. Tarbiyah Jinsiyah (pendidikan seks)

Insting seks merupakan sesuatu yang diciptakan Allah, yang segera diwadahi oleh satu-satunya lembaga halal yaitu pernikahan. Faedah dari seks (jima') menurut Ibnu Qayyim adalah: pertama, menjaga dan melestarikan kehidupan manusia; kedua, mengeluarkan sperma yang jika tertimbun terlalu lama dalam tubuh akan membahayakan kesehatan manusia; dan ketiga, wasilah untuk memenuhi hajat seksual dan untuk meraih kenikmatan batin dan biologis.

Tarbiyah jinsiyah bisa dilakukan dengan cara-cara sebagai berikut: memperbanyak pembicaraan tentang bahaya-bahaya zina dan berbagai kerusakan yang ditumbulkannya, termasuk ancaman terhadap dosa zina; menyebarluaskan peringatan dan penjelasan tentang bahaya serta kerusakan-kerusakan yang ditimbulkan perilaku homoseksual; menjadikan kebiasaan untuk membatasi pandangan mata sebagai kebudayaan di tengah masyarakat; tidak berkata-kata maupun melangkahkan kaki kecuali kepada hal-hal yang pasti mendapat pahala dari Allah; menyatakan perang terhadap semua bentuk nafsu dan keinginan yang buruk; meniadakan waktu yang kosong; memperbanyak ibadah sunnah; melarang anak-anak bergaul dengan teman yang buruk akhlaqnya; melarang anak-anak dengan keras untuk mendekati khamr (minuman keras); serta melindungi anak dari penyimpangan fitrah kelaminnya.7 (wpr)

Petua Khusyuk Dalam Sembahyang

Sebenarnya khusyuk dalam Solat adalah sangat-sangat dituntut seperti Firman Allah s.w.t yang bermaksud "Telah berjayalah orang-orang yang beriman iaitu orang-orang yang khusyuk dalam sembahyangnya"[Surah Al-Mukminun : ayat 1-2]. Firman-Nya lagi Peliharalah segala sembahyangmu dan peliharalah sembahyang utama (Asar, Subuh) dan berdirilah untuk Allah (melalui solatmu) dengan khusyuk" [Surah Al-Baqarah : ayat 238] dan ketahuilah, solat adalah ibadah utama yang akan dihisab terlebih dahulu di akhirat oleh Allah SWT, berbanding dengan amalan-amalan yang lain. Sekiranya solat seseorang itu dalam keadaan sempurna, maka barulah dihitung pula amalan yang lain.Firman Allah lagi yang bermaksud : "Maka kecelakaanlah bagi orang-orang solat, (iaitu) orang-orang yang lalai dari solatnya." [Surah Al-Ma'un : ayat 4-5]

Rasulullah SAW bersabda yang bermaksud "Berapa banyak orang yang mendirikan solat, tetapi yang di perolehi hanya penat dan letih, kerana mereka itu lalai dalam sembahyangnya." Nabi s.a.w bersabda lagi yang bermaksud : "Tidak ada habuan bagi seseorang hamba dalam sembahyangnya kecuali sekadar mana yang ia ingat." Hadis lain dari Rasulullah s.a.w. "Aku selalu mengingati mati dalam sembahyang" . serta "Apabila kamu sembahyang anggaplah sembahyang ini sembahyang perpisahan". Yang dikatakan khusyuk itu ialah hati sentiasa hidup, untuk mengekalkan sembahyang yang khusyuk, amalan berikut perlulah diamalkan dan diperhatikan oleh setiap orang yang mengerjakan sembahyang:

1. Menjaga makanan, minuman, pakaian, tempat tinggal dan lain-lain supaya datang dari punca yang halal tanpa syubhah.

2. Agar pemikiran tidak liar, sebelum solat lintaskan kematian seakan-akan amat hampir dengan kita serta solat tersebut merupakan sholat terakhir dan perlulah dijadikan yang terbaik.

3. Mendirikan sembahyang di awal waktu supaya tidak gopoh apakala masa hampir luput.

4. Membaca dengan baik (Khusnul Qori'ah), berusaha untuk memahami, mengerti bacaan dalam solat termasuk ayat Al-Quran yang dibacakan itu terutama sekali Al Fatihah, gerakan dan maknanya (Tafakhum). Ini kerana bacaan-bacaan dalam solat mengandungi banyak makna yang halus yang patut dimengertikan oleh orang yang melaksanakannya.

5. Rukun-rukun solat dilakukan secara tertib. Berusaha konsentrasi (Khudunul Kolbih), menyedari bahawa Allah memperhatikan sembahyang itu.

6. Rasa Malu (Haya') perasaan malu terhadap Allah s.w.t., rasa takut (Khauf) kepada kekuasaan Allah.

7. Berharap serta yakin (Optimis) Allah menerima solat dan amal kita.

8. Hati diajak hadir/ikut, kehadiran hati dalam solat iaitu mengosongkan hati dari segala urusan yang boleh mengganggu dan yang tidak berkaitan dengan solat.

9. Membesarkan Allah dalam solat, merasakan kehebatan Allah dalam solat.

10. Menggunakan sejadah yang tidak terlalu banyak gambar yang akan menghayalkan pemikiran.

11. Mendirikan sembahyang secara berjemaah.

12. Mengambil wuduk dengan sempurna.

13. Mengurangkan pergerakan anggota-anggota seperti tangan, kaki dan juga Mata ditumpukan kepada tempat sujud dan ketika tahayat melihat anak jari.

14. Azan dan iqamat terlebih dahulu walaupun mendirikan sembahyang bersendirian ataupun sekurang-kurangnya iqamat sahaja.

15. Ditegah bersembahyang dengan pakaian yang ada gambar, berwarna warni, bertulis, lukisan dan lain-lain kerana ia juga membuat orang lain hilang kekhusyukan ketika berjemaah.

Walau apapun syarat khusyu' yang paling utama ialah kemantapan iman dalam diri terhadap Allah SWT. Oleh sebab itu, berusahalah untuk mengenali Allah dan memperteguhkan keimanan kepadaNya. Sebenarnya, khusyuk di dalam sembahyang bermula dari khusyuk di luar sembahyang. Kalau di luar sembahyang hati tidak khusyuk dengan Allah, memang payah untuk khusyuk di dalam sembahyang.



Imam Al-Ghazali menyatakan bahawa orang yang tidak khusyuk solatnya adalah dikira sia-sia belaka, kerana tujuan solat itu selain untuk mengingati Allah SWT, ia juga berfungsi sebagai alat pencegah dari perbuatan keji dan mungkar.



Apabila lalai ketika menunaikan solat bererti orang tersebut tidak akan berasa gerun ketika melakukan perkara keji dan mungkar. Menurutnya lagi bahawa solat itu merupakan munjat" (berdialog dan berbisik) seorang hamba terhadap Tuhannya.



Sayidina Ali k.w. boleh khusyuk dalam sembahyangnya hingga waktu orang mencabut panah di betisnya, dia tidak terasa apa-apa. Sayidina Umar Al Khattab pernah berkata, "Khusyuk itu bukan tundukkan kepala, tapi khusyuk itu dalam hati."



Kesimpulannya orang-orang yang takut kepada penciptaNya dan menyedari ia hanyalah hamba akan patuh apasaja yang diperintahkan dan disampaikan oleh rasul serta akan khusyuk mendapat nikmat solat seperti firman Allah yang bermaksud: "Jadikanlah Sabar dan Solat sebagai penolongmu. Dan sesungguhnya yang demikian itu sungguh berat, kecuali bagi orang-orang yang khusyuk. (Yakni) orang-orang yang meyakini, bahawa mereka akan menemui Tuhannya dan bahawa mereka akan kembali kepadaNya" [Surah Al-Baqarah : ayat 45-46].

Nor Azah Yusof
Fakulti Sains dan Pengajian Alam Sekitar
Jabatan Kimia
UPM

BARAKALLAHU LAKUMA WA BAARAKA ALAIKUMA WA JAMA BAINAKUMA FI KHAIR [PART TWO]
(posting semula di samping posting-posting perkahwinan yang baru)

Ramai yang tertanya-tanya sebab apa ana katakan sekarang ni musim pekahwinan. Alhamdu lillah memang menjadi kegembiraan ana untuk berkongsi asbabnya. Sekalung tahniah dan rantaian doa ana kirimkan buat sahabat-sahabat yang mendirikan baitul muslim. Semoga berkekalan mawaddah dan rahmahnya sehingga ke syurga serta menjadi madrasah du'at cemerlang di dunia. (ada satu cerita best kat bawah ni .. siapa tak baca rugiiiii)


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Dari :: Bee Fatin

Assalamualaikum wrt wbth...

Semoga ikhwah akhawat sekalian sentiasa di bwh payungan Rahmat Illahi ..

Sukacita dan gembiranya ana ingin memaklumkan bahawa sahabat kami (batch 4), SITI NORAIDA MASMOK ,

akan melangsungkan perkahwinan nya pada: (afwan, lambat bgth)

22 Sept 2002- Ahad, di rumahnya di alamat:

Lot 11887, lorong ikan bawal, kg nelayan, teluk gong,

42000 pelabuhan klang.

Maka dengan itu, beliau menjemput semua ke majlis makan nasi minyaknya..(taktau la kalu takde makan nasi minyak!) Ana rase ade juga walimah pd hari yg same kan?(tak silap di Sg.Buloh)so,nak kena bahagi² juga la kali nih...ade yg ke Klang dan ade yg ke Sg.Buloh..Tapi apa yg pasti semua batch4 kena pegi yg Klang la...

Any musykilah boleh call aida 03-3134 3941 @ 012-699 4506

Itu saje..moga masjid-masjid(semakin banyak "masjid² Hira"..la ni) yg dibina tunggak kelahiran generasi yg bakal mendokong risalah Islamiyah dan akan menjadikan Kalimaatullah hiya Al-'Ulya..!!

"Moga Redha Allah bersinar selalu..Tanda bermula bahtera hidup.."

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Nurin Mazaya Zulkifli wrote:

Assalamu'alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabakatuh

Sahabat-sahabat yg dikasihi fillah,

Semoga dalam 'afiyah, ketinggian iman & amal & dalam
redha Allah sentiasa ...

Bismillah wAlhamdulillah ..

ana mewakili 2 orang sahabat kita ingin menjemput
semua sahabat-sahabat Alumni Hira' yg dikasihi .. dari
batch 1 hinggalah ke batch 7 ...

... untuk menghadiri WALIMAH Akh MOHD. SALLEH OTHMAN
(3rd batch) dan Ukht SITI SARAH MUHD. KHAMIS (4th
batch) pada 6 & 13 OKTOBER ini Insha Allah ..

(di kediaman ukht Siti Sarah)
AHAD
6 Oktober 2002/ 29 Rejab 1423H
No. 20, Jalan Klang Perdana 3,
Taman Klang Perdana,
41400 Klang, Selangor
0332907619 / 0122685180

dan

(di kediaman akh Salleh)
AHAD
13 Oktober 2002 / 6 Sya'ban 1423H
2516, Jln Shapadu bt 3, Rantau Panjang,
Klang, Selangor.
0333415703

pertama kalinya Insha Allah, kita dijemput menghadiri
majlis penyatuan 2 orang sahabat kita yg sama-sama
sekian lama belajar, bermain, ber'camping' dan ...
(terlalu banyak utk disebut semuanya) ...

maka, kedua-dua pihak dengan berbesar hati menjemput
semua sahabat-sahabat (+ dlm kad jemputan ditulis "...
DAN SEISI KELUARGA") untuk menghadiri KEDUA-DUA majlis
yg akan diadakan Insha Allah ... (maksudnya makan free
berjama'ah 2x) ;)

sama-sama kita doakan moga majlis berjalan lancar dan
ikatan yg dijalinkan mendapat berkat, rahmat &
lindungan Allah s.w.t .. moga2 dengan limpahan
rahmatNya akan muncul sebuah lagi "institusi da'wah"
yg akan melahirkan & membentuk anak-anak generasi
al-Qur'an yg unggul & diredhai Allah ..

tahniah buat Akh Salleh & Ukht Siti Sarah
Barakallah feekuma ...

:> sesekali hadir walimah ala reunion Alumni .. Insha
Allah jumpa antum di sana :).

Salam Ukhuwwah.

p/s: especially, batch 3 dan 4, harap dpt hadir.

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From: Suria Kencana
Date: Sun Oct 13, 2002 7:56 am
Subject: Re: [3rd Batch] Address terkini

Assalamualaikum,

Alhamdulillah, selamat sorang kawan kita mendirikan
rumah tangga.Congratulation.!!!!! Semoga Bahgiye ker
anak cucu, cicit , bla bla bla , akhirat.

Ana rasa terharu ngan komitmen member2 satu batch yang
hadir kan diri. Walaupun tak Full Strength..tapi kay
gak lah kan. Yelah...cam Saied yang datang dari
seremban.Ada yang nak peksa final esok pagi pun still
hadir kan diri, cam Kamil & Razlan & bla bla bla...:)

Kat sini ana attach kan beberapa gambar yg sempat di
ambil walaupun pengantin dok sibuk ngan melayan
tetamu, pelajar laki dok sibuk melahap nasi minyak dan
pelajar perempuan ..tak sure buat per.
Ilal-Liqa'


"keep in touch"
-ska-

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jemputan kahwin

Nurul Balqis Othman dan Abdul Halim (dua-dua G9)
pada 19/10/2002 ( sabtu ni ) kat Manong Kuala Kangsar Perak
(Pengantin Perempuan)
dan pada 27/10/2002 kat Johor Bharu ( rumah Pengantin lelaki)

E-mail ini dikira pengganti kad undangan kenduri.
Jemput pada semua-semua untuk hadir.

untuk makluman lanjut call nombor ini : 057431218
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From Fairuz

Assalamualaikum wbt..

Akhie & ukhtie semua dijemput untuk menghadiri majlis kenduri ana dan
Izayu di alamat serta pada tarikh yang berikut :

Rumah Pengantin perempuan :
Alamat : No.843, Jalan Samudra Utara 10, Taman Samudra,
68100 Bt. Caves, Selangor
Tarikh : Sabtu, 25 Mei 2002
Masa : 11 pagi --> 4 petang
Tel : 017-3117455, 03-61874384

Rumah Pengantin lelaki :
Alamat : No.14, Jalan Cermat 5, Taman Pelangi,
80400, Johor Bahru, Johor
Tarikh : Sabtu, 1 Jun 2002
Masa : 12 tgh --> 5.30 petang
Tel : 012-2837807, 07-3342182

Semoga dengan kehadiran akhie, ukhtie dapat menyerikan lagi majlis dan
semoga diberkati Allah SWT. Insyaallah.

Sekian.Wassalam.
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From: "janna_2468"
Date: Wed Oct 9, 2002 10:38 pm
Subject: Address terkini

Assalamu'alaikum wbt

minta semua respon dgn memberikan alamat surat-menyurat terkini, ada
kawan kita nak hantar jemputan..cepat2 sebelum kad habis! :)

wassalam.

-janna`

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Dari : Amzari

Assalamualaikum wbt.

Ana mewakili Abg. Ahmad Yussuf menjemput semua ahli tazkiyah ke
majlis perkahwinan beliau.

Sila buka link di bawah:

http://info.e-ulama.org/jemputan/ahmad.html

untuk maklumat lanjut sila hubungi beliau di talian: +6013-6701501

Bagi pihak diri ana mengucapkan tahniah kepada beliau dan juga
beberapa orang sahabat yang bakal mendirikan rumah tangga dalam masa
terdekat ni.

Sekian, wassalam.
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Dari: Syaari Abdul Rahman

Assalamualaikum w.b,

Sekadar menyampaikan amanah,menjemput bekas2 KISAS & MADIWA/MESIR yg
berdekatan ke walimah Kak Yasrina Sabtu ni.

Walimatul Urus

YAACOB BIN HJ.HAMID dan NORIZAN BINTI RAMLI

Dengan penuh rasa kesyukuran kepada Allah SWT ,
Kami dengan segala hormatnya menjemput

Tuan/Puan/Encik/Cik ……………………….…………………….. sekeluarga
Ke majlis perkahwinan anak perempuan kami

YASRINA BINTI YAACOB
Dengan
AHMAD KAMAL BIN HJ.ABDUL SHUKOR

Pada hari SABTU 19hb.OKTOBER 2002 bersamaan 12 SYAABAN 1423
Di alamat LOT 1, KAMPUNG PEGAWAI, SG.KOROK,
05400 ALOR SETAR KEDAH.

Semoga dengan kehadiran Tuan/Puan/Encik/Cik menyerikan lagi majlis kami .
Insya Allah. Terima Kasih.

yasrina yaacob

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4 OGOS 2002/24 Jamadilawal 1423

SITI AISHAH ISMAIL & EKA

Ana, Kak wan dan Maya tiba di Masjid Ghufran pukul 10am lebih. Ramai kakak2 senior batch 1 Al Amin dah tiba lebih awal dari kami. Semua persiapan perkahwinan disiapkan oleh akhawat2, kakak2 kita lah. Sahabat dalam perjuangan...kekal selamanya, kan? Alhamdulillah, majlia dimulakan dengan ceramah mengenai pernikahan yang disampaikan oleh Ustaz dari Indonesia tapi menetap di m'sia, tak silap ana. Bergenang jugak air mata masa dengar ceramah. Selepas ceramah, akad nikah...kedengaran takbir ALLAHUAKBAR selepas satu lafaz yang sahaja... sesi salam2an Dr Eka dengan familinya yang dtg dari Indonesia. SYAHDU!!! Bergenang lagi air mata ana...

Seterusnya, sesi bergambar dan makan....Kalau selalunya kita dapat bunga telur...ni kami semua dapat a small notebook on PERNIKAHAN DI DALAM ISLAM!!!



25 OGOS 2002/16 Jamadilakhir 1423

HANIEF & SITI MALINI

Hanief ngan Malini berarak dengan pukulan kompang. Hensem Hanief dan BEAUTY Malini really made the event a memorable one...tapi, Akhawat Batch 2 punyalah dah lama tak jumpa, kami lagi bising drpd pengantin sendiri!!! Eh...Pengantin mesti lah kontrol ayukan?? hehe. Anyways, it was really great to see Hanief and Siti Malini...pasangan yang bahagia... Ana sempat amik gambar depa masa tgh makan. Memang duk kaco daun jelah...tapi, nak wat cemana? kena amik gambo kenang2an lah kan??? well, hope you 2 take care of yourselves out there. Jaga rumahtangga sampai akhir hayat dan semoga bertemu semula di akhirat kelak...AMIIINNNNN!



6 SEPTEMBER 2002/28 Jamadilakhir 1423

NURUL IMAN & SHAHRUDIN

Ana dijemput ke majlis akad K. Iman ni. As Pres said, bukan tak nak ajak yg lain2, tapi, memang ye sedara K.Iman aje macam dah jadi satu majlis kenduri kawin. hehe. Sat gi panggey kawan2, tak tau nak duk mana. As Pres dah citer...semua idea kita dia dah citer. Cuma nak kasik touch up sikit je. Pres sibok citer pasai AL MASAR ajek. Pasai adik2 dia, lupa nak tercerita atau dia takde dlm dewan tu since dia kan adik pengantin..BZ lah sikit! Adik pengantin yang ke-4, Muawwiz, bakal Al Hafiz bacakan surah apa, ana tak perasan and then Yusraa bacakan maknanya. So, not only Pres, Musa'b ajek...tapi, semua adik2 Pengantin duk bagi support and meriahkan lagi suasana makan malam tu. (except for the baby lah...lupa nama) Termasuk lah ibu ayah K. Iman. The one that i remembered that night when Abu Iman said..."Saya bukan melepaskan anak kepada org lain tetapi, saya menerima satu lagi tanggungjawab." Sajak Ummu Iman dan multimedia presentation was really touching. Keluar abis gambo2 lelama Ummu dan Abu Iman. hehe.



7 SEPTEMBER 2002/29 Jamadilakhir 1423

SALEHA & ZULFADHLI

Ana tak sempat tengok pengantin lelakinya. Dah mintak gambar dah dr K. Leha. Nanti, dah dpt gambar dia, ana canang2kan gambar pengantin2 semua kat sini, ok? Bukan apa.... Saja nak kenalkan pasangan2 masing2. Nanti berselisih tepi2 jalan, bleh tau hok mana satu yang dah kawin...Rumah K. Saleha dekat dengan K. Sara. Sempat lah ana jumpa pengantin lama sebab ari tuh kami dpt tahu lambat pasai K. Sara Russly. Tempat makan dia besaq sungguhhhh. Memang meriah sungguh lah. Sampai ahli2 keluarga depa semua pakai baju sama warna. At least senang nak kenai mana satu tuan rumah. Suami K. Sara jadi DJ. Semua nasyid2 best yang dia putarkan semasa kami makan. Cam ala IKIM.fm. Tapi, ahli nasyid BROTHERS ni lagi hebat ana rasa....K. Sara dah pesan, ada konsert BROTHERS, jgn lupa pi!! Nanti adalah K. sara sama.

22 SEPTEMBER 2002/15 Rejab1423

SYAMAIZAR & isteri

Ana tak sempat nak pi sebab ada hal ke Bukit Tinggi Resort dengan keluarga. Tapi, ada laporan dari kawan2 ana yang kata masa duk berarak, tengah hujan lah pulak. hehe. Tapi, dpt gaks nak makan sedap2. Kira orait lah tu. Acam ingat semua kawan2 dia. Duk tanya mana pi yg lain2. Baguih la. Ada gaks ingat kat kita2 ni. Hujan2 pun, dah kawin dah Acam kita tu. Semoga bahagia ke anak cucu deh...



GITU GINI, Finally dah abis dah ana bagi laporan depa2 ni. hehe. Semoga dapat lah antum semua share pengalaman antum masing2 di mana jua antum berada. key antum???

do take care. Semoga pasangan2 ini kita doakan bahagis ke anak cucu. Ada masalah dlm rumahtangga, selesaikan dengan sebaiknya. Biarlah kasih antuma kekal hingga ke syurga

Hok lelain yang blom tu, doakan semoga dapat jodoh yg baik2, yg soleh solehah. InsyaAllah. Ana doakan semua...

WALLAHUA'LAM. Kalau ana ada terkata salah silap dalam emel ni, ana mohon maaf. Takde bende nak buat kat umah. Nak baca buku, cam malas....Hopefully dpt manfaat dr cerita ana ni....

TAKE CARE n Assalamualaikum

N.E.H.A.R

Cheras

1/10/2002, 24 Rejab 1423
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Muadz wrote:


AKH AZIZUL KHAIRI MISPAN & UKHT NURHASHIMAH ISMAIL


WALIMATUL URUS


PASANGAN IDEAL


Dengan ini, selaku orang yang diamanahkan oleh al-akh Azizul Khairi Mispan (batch-1) hira, untuk menjemput antum sekalian ke majlis kenduri kahwinnya yang akan berlangsung pada:


1) 24hb Ogos 2002 di suatu tempat bernombor, Penang


2) 1hb September 2002 di LOT 3509-16, Kampung Delek Kanan, 41250 Klang


Beliau menjemput antum semua ke rumahnya di Klang dan kepada mereka yang teringin untuk ke Penang maka silalah berhubung terus dengan bakal pengantin kita ni di talian 0193766861 atau Along (saiful Jamsyir-pengapit zul kot) di talian 0192597150.


Kepada semua, sila panjang-panjangkan khabaran gembira ini kepada teman-teman yang mengenali.


Juga Selaku Presiden Alumni ana mewakili teman-teman dan adik-adik semua berdoa agar akh Azizul akan melangkah masuk ke alam perkahwinan dengan jayanya dan penuh keazaman juga barokah. Moga anta dan pasangan dapat menjadi contoh kepada kami dan masyarakat amnya insyaAllah.


SELAMAT PENGANTIN BARU (in advance)


wassalam


PEKERJA ALUMNI/kawan zul


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Farid wrote:


Ya tuan-tuan, puan-puan, Dato'-dato', Datin'-datin dan Tan Sri serta YB - YB sekelian, di sini ana nak jemputlah.... utk tuan-tuan, puan-puan, Dato'-dato', Datin'-datin dan Tan Sri serta YB - YB sekelian.... datang rumah awa.... bagi meraikan perkahwinan di antara "Ketua Panglima Mujahideen Islam Malaysia Komander Farid Wajdi Bin Ariffin dengan Salwa Hana Bt. Yussof". Kedatangan tuan-tuan, puan-puan, Dato'-dato', Datin'-datin dan Tan Sri serta YB - YB sekelain amatlah di harapkan bagi sama2 menyaksikan sunnah peristiharan ini. Tak perlu risau utk datang ke rumah kenduri kerana insyaallah kenduri ini di buat dgn usaha mengelakkan apa2 unsur maksiat dan
haram seperti nyanyian para artis atau pun persandingan...... oleh kerana kenduri ini tiada unsur kemaksiatan maka wajiblah bagi antum semua datang sekiranya tiada halangan yg munasabah........ dan saya juga dgn kuasa pada tangan saya, memberikan kuasa sepenuhnya kepada antum semua utk menjemput semua ahli (persatuan ini) ..... dan juga kawan2 yg mengenali diri ana dan Salwa yg tidak ada nama mereka di dalam yahoogroup ini utk datang bersama meraikan majlis penyatuan dua org hamba Allah yg hina bagi membuka ruangan kesempurnaan iman ini (pernikahan).


" Dari Abu Hurairah katanya, Rasulullah S.A.W telah memberi pelajaran, kata beliau: mu'min yg sempurna imannya ialah yg sebaik-baik peribadinya dan sebaik-baik peribadi ialah org yg sebaik-baiknya terhadap isterinya". - Riwayat Ahmad & Tirmidzi


sekian, terima kasih.... ahlan wa sahlan..... TAKBIRRRRR!!!!!!!


Farid


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Sis Hafsa wrote:


Assalamu'alaikum wbt

Jemputan Walimatul Urus

Sukacita dimaklumkan, semua ikhwah akhawat Alumni Hira' dijemput ke majlis walimah kak Harmilah bt Basiran (bekas kerani SMI Hira', kini bertugas di SRI Hira'), dengan pasangannya Mohd Kamarul Ariffin Hj Daud.

Majlis di rumah pengantin perempuan
Tarikh: 26 Mei 2002 (Ahad)
Alamat: No. 125, Felda Palong 13, Pejabat Pos Pusat Bandar Palong,
73430 Negeri Sembilan.
No. Telefon: 06-466 8237


Majlis di rumah pengantin lelaki
Tarikh: 2 Jun 2002 (Ahad)
Alamat: No. 18 Jln. 13, Kg. Idaman, Pandamaran,
42000 Pelabuhan Klang
No. Telefon: 03-3168 0348

Kak Harmilah amat mengalu-alukan kedatangan antum.

wassalam.

ps: Ana attach peta ke rumah pengantin perempuan (negeri9) dan pengantin lelaki (pklang).


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Kak Feiza wrote:


Assalamualaikum wbt

JEMPUTAN MAJLIS PERKAHWINAN

Di sini, ana ingin menjemput semua warga Hira' ke majlis perkahwinan kakak ana NUR ZAHIDAH BT ABD SAMAD (1st batch) dengan pasangannya FAKHRI pada 4/5/2002 (Sabtu minggu ini) di alamat

No 100 Taman Purnama ,
Jalan Pegawai,
05050 Alor Setar Kedah.

Semua dijemput hadir.
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Azral wrote:

assalamualaikum..

khairul fahmi mahmood kim salam buat semua .. yup he is married but the kenduri is on 2nd of june.. so prepare ourselves with a lots of gifts for both mempelai..the more the merrier ..

wasalam

Rahimi replied:

azral..die jemput sume ke...ke ko yg jemput ni...:>....sape zaujah die...kisas jugak ke?

Saufi added:

hmm.. rasenya jemput semua aa.. kat bilik aku tue dah siap ngan kad jemputan lagi.. jom aa kita g semua.. zaujah dia tue org kajang.. bukan kisas aa... tapi sekolah biasa aje.. tapi org jemaah kat sini.. :)

(banyak lagi komentar untuk perkahwinan yang ni tapi cukup lah yang ana paste ni ye :) )

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Auza'ie wrote:

assalamualaikum... semua ... abg aku kawin oi ... jemput semua beramai2 mai rumah aku kat kg santan perlis. saper tak pernak pe rumah aku tu diwajibkan
datang walaupu aku tak dak. Nun hang kena mai.. bawak hishamuddin dan wan adli sekali. jemput semua sekalilah .. termsauk akhawat/ puteri.

hmmn ... nanti kat sana aku tak dak sbb tak dapat balik dari mesir.. heh heh heh .. kem salam jerlah kat abg arep aku no. sedih jugak.

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Mu'adz wrote:

Salam ikhwah akhawaat sekalian.

Ana cuma ingin berkongsi pengalaman seketika ana berada di rumah TN HJ SAARI SUNGIB (Abu Urwah) pada 7.4.02 yakni semalam untuk bersama-sama menyaksikan
dan mengimarahkan majlis akad nikah antara sepasang pengantin yang cukup ideal, 2 da'i/ ah yang telah bersatu berjanji akan menyerahkan jiwa raga mereka kepada da'wah dan Islam. Allahu Akbar. Kebetulan ana seorang shj. yang dari Hira..maybe mewakili antum semua di sini kott...anyway..akhi ammar minta maaf kerana tak dapat jemput semua, kerana sesi semalam adalah tertutup memandangkan situasi politik (abu urwah dapat balik n join the ceremony, malah menikahkan menantunya dgn putri sulongnya!!!) juga krn majlis walimah akan dibuat kemudian hari, maybe selepas ABU URWAH dibebaskan KELAK insyaAllah...itu kata UMMU URWAH (begitu tekad dan yakin sekali ibunda kita ini....)

Ana sampai sempat utk menunaikan fardu zohor sekali dgn jemaah di surau, then kami ke rumah pengantin perempuan di Taman Sri Ukay. Hj Saari telah pun sampai dan solat berjemaah bersama keluarganya dan keluarga bakal besannya.. (Sungguh mengharukan). Sterusnya majlis akad dimulakan dgn pembukaan oleh Tn Qadi...(pandai jugak berjenaka tuan Qadi ni...baguslaa tak gabra sgt si pengantin lelaki...yeah we need more of kadi's like him :) then AGENDA yang agak penting bagi ana...KHUTBAH NIKAH oleh Abu Urwah..

Dlm khutbah inilah abu urwah mengulangi kezamannya utk terus berjuang hingga ke akhir hayat..hingga tertegaknya keadilan islam dimuka bumi ini...atau dia gugur dahulu.. Suasana agak emosional bilamana beliau menceritakan sejarah pertemuan beliau dan isterinya Ummu Urwah, dan bagaimana mrk telah sama2 berjanji akan menginfaqkan dan menyerahkan keluarga mrk ini utk islam....diri mereka dan anak2....Anfal, katanya...yang telah dididik dan diasuh begitu rupa... akhirnya akan diserahkan kepada seorang DA'I PILIHAN Ukht Anfal (the Exact wordings) untuk mrk terus memperjuangkan islam... Allahu Akbar...Inilah suatu gambaran sebuah keluarga Islam... yang dicita2kan Ummat...

akhirnya... akad berjalan lancar walaupun berlaku lawak jenaka yang membuatkan hadirin tersenyum simpul melihatkan telatah abu urwah yang ceria dan girang sekalipun mengetahui dia akan kembali ke penjara...sebentar lagi...Tetapi baginya, inilah perjuangan krn beliau tak kan tunduk untuk menarik balik salah 1 statementnya yg tidak disukai Mahathir dan kuncu2nya.... inilah dia rutin abu urwah sekian hari selapas 362 hari dlm tahanan.... bertahan dan bertahan sambil beribadah dlm sel bermunaqosyah dan berbincang soal rakyat dan ummat dalam penjara.... sesekali berjumpa dgn ahli keluarga..... sesekali pastinya teringatkan detik2 sewaktu die bebas diluar sana, dapat bersama2 anak2 dan isteri...kini tidak lagi....hanya krn mempertahankan prinsip beliau....tetapi dgn itu, beliau tetap tenang dan yakin kpd nasrullah.

kembali kpd cerita.... ALHAMDULILLAH...selepas akad dan sarung cincin...kami ada kesempatan berjumpa sketka dgn bu urwah ...teman2 lama dtg dari jauh utk
menyaksikan sendri keadaan abu urwah yang kurus dan cengkong (sape2 yang kenal beliau..do not imagine the same body size mc mdulu...gempal dan sihat....he's like my father plak badannya.) rambut nya panjang x dipotong tanda protes .. bdnnya susut dek krn mogok lapar yang dilancarkan ...tak makan apa2 from makanan penjara ..only foods from families...

Maka terlihatlah wajah2 pakcik2 yang suka bercampur duka bila bertemu dgn pak syekh kita ni... Suasana mmg meriah tetapi semua tersepit diantara kegirangan menyaksikan sebuah rumahtangga dakwah yg terbina dan kemelut yang melanda keluarga abu urwah itu sendiri.... Its like u r confused over there.... Yang pastinya abu urwah tetap ceria.. Kepada 1st batch alamin ( yeah thats us...) ramai yang hadir dikalangan 1st batch..from muammar, abuzar, dolah, lokman, amrizar, munzir, fatimah daniel, marhamah, dan byk lagi dkalangan 2nd batch.... juga adik2 yang masih form 5 pun dtg.... itulah dia hakikat ukhuwwah fillah yang merentas umur.... pasangan pengantin mmg aktif dgn kerja2 dakwah disekolah.... mereka akan terus menjadi THE MOST FAVOURED couple di sekolah alamin..thats for sure..

Then, it was time to go...semua berbaris sambil berselawat dan bertahlil... untuk member laluan kpd abu urwah ke VAN PENJARA berwarna kuning berbelang hijau yang sudah siap parking depan rumah beliau. Abu Urwah sudah pun manyalin baju Melayu hijaunya dan memakai t-shirt biru gelap tuck -in...smart...yeah he's always smart... i'm sure u guys know him well... cuma rambut je ada cikit panjang juga :)... Sblm ke van...abu urwah bersalam dan berpelukan dgn pakcik2 yang hadir... diikuti dgn seluruh ahli keluarga nya termasuk menantunya yang baru, akhi ammar... Begitu kuat semangat abu urwah, dikala pakcik2 berpelukan sambil menitis kan air mata
semangat, abu urwah hanya mampu tersenyum melihatkan sokongan teman2 seperjuangan nya...ada seoarang pakcik I saw... agak lama mendakap tubuh abu
urwah... well i thought... hmm he must have been one of the teman2 akrabnya sewaktu di england susah2 pi usrah bersama dan gi prgm ODC /STC bersama OR
he might have been one of his anak didik... he was crying but still control.... Dikala ini makcik2 dan kaum wanita hanya mampu menitiskan air mata dari jauh...melihatkan suasana yang agak mengharukan.... anak2 beliau macam biasa..tetap tabah dan cekal...tiada yg teresa-esak..yang ada cuma linangan airmata bersih menyinari wajah2 mereka.. Ummu Urwah pun begitu juga...tapi dia lagi Cool...i respect u makcik.... !!!

Sebaik giliran ana berpelukan dgn abu urawah, sempat ana sebut.. "TERUSKAN perjuangan ni pakcik..pakcik Pejuang SEJATI.." dibalas dgn senyuman yang selalu kita nampak waktu dulu2 semasa berprogram.. oh pakcik..kau sungguh kuat...Dan yang ana paling terharu bila melihatkan anak bongsu (BABY REFORMASI YNG LAHIR SEWAKTU ABU URWAH PERTAMA DITAHAN DIBAWAH I.S.A.) yap... adik kita..wasilah.... dia hanya melopong kosong while carried by his brother Muthanna.... dia tak paham apa2 ..dia pelik, pelik dan aneh...tapi mcm mak dia gak...steady.. waduh...baby ini apakah dia mengerti semua kepedihan yang dilalui ibunya....yang direntasi berbulan2 oleh kakak2 dan abang2nya... Wasilah..jika kau tahu, percayalah bahawa kesakitan ini semuanya krn ALLAH>..dan bila kesakitan krn Allah, maka di akhirat ..DIA akan membalas dgn sebaik2 balasan..jgn kau risau hai wasilah adikku... Satu usapan dan ciuman kasih sayang kuberikan kepada anak kecil ini.... ...

Akhirnya, sampai ke van, polis2 bertindak profesional dan baik... mrk telah memberikan allowance sbyk 1 jam lebih kurang krn janjinya jam 3 mesti pulang.... now dah jam 4... Sorakan Takbir mencelah kesunyian desa taman sri ukay... jiran2 yang tak join tgk dari tingkap....Bingung dgn situasi yang ada...(tapi mrk juga dah biasa kot... ) then sorakan reformasi dan takbir makin kuat bila abu urwah melangkah masuk ke van. satu genggaman dilemparkan ke udara dgn laungan takbir... ALLAHU AKBAR>.... yeah "aku akan kembali ke panjara, tetapi aku tidak resah akan keluargaku, teman2ku, perjuanganku... Krn Allah akan menjaga mereka semua.".begitulah agaknya, bisik hati beliau.... FIKIRKU...

vroom...van jalan, dan suasan jadi tenang semula.... perwira itu telah pergi... mengharungi hari2 rutin beliau dalam sel yang muatnya 40 orang tetapi menempatkan hanya 2 orang.... arrggghh!! takkisah..ini semua krn allah dan rasulnya... Sayang anak isteri, tinggal2kan... sayang perjuangan jangan putus amalan harian.... Di rumah, pakcik2 bersalaman dgn pengantin dan bersedia utk pulang...kami sempat bergambar 1st batch... bersama pengantin dan cikgu solehah dan cikgu rasyidah..ingat lagi tak???.. oh..
ya..sempat jumpa ramai asatizah.... ust shahrom, ustzh zaimah... ust megat ust nasry dan sbg.... waah...REUNION gamaknya..alhamdulillah...

Anyway thats about it...yeap...mungkin serita ana panjang sket...nak buat macamana..I was very emosional yesterday... naik turun dada ni mengejar emosi yang pelbagai pd 3 jam di sana.... Hanya niat utk berkongsi dgn adik2 disini dan ikhwah /akhawaat.. utk kita ambil ibrah.... Belum kita kenal erti jerih payah sebegini rupa...yang pastinya bila tak diduga camni...kita belum tahu tinggi rendah kedudukan kita disisi Allah... belum diduga.. hanya pandai berjenaka dan berkata2 cam ana nilaa... ahaaaa... so frens...marilah kita berkongsi misi dan visi utk melihat agama allah tertegak di muka bumi ini...sbg muslim..takde kompromi lagi utk kita menerima perundangan selain yang milik Allah.. Cumanya..jgn hanya bermimpi dan bervisi...sama2lah kita jaga amlan harian kita... solat dan doa.. (ITU ASAS KEKUATAN KAN!!!) Juga hormatilah ibu bapa kalian...buatlah kebajikan dikala mrk masih hidup bernyawa..dah takde chance dah nak cium tangan mak ayah cam hari ni jikalau jari jemari mrk telah kaku di pembaringan... yang ana dgr kdg, ada dikalangan kita yang amik endah tak endah aje bila parents menegur dan meminta kita melakukan sesuatu... isyhh.. insaflah kawan2... siapakah kita nak membongkak sebegitu rupa...penghujung kita ..ke tanah jua.. Like this baitud Da'wah of Abu urwah.... they are the role model of the
ummah...of course , there are alot others...but at least, from what i can see and witness myself.... Berdoalah agar kita menjejak terusan yang sama... jalan yang diajar baginda nabi mohammad SAW.... OKlah panjang betullll nih.... Hope we have gain something... BUAT PENGANTIN BARU>>>selamat menjalankan t'jawab selaku suami dan isteri....Kalian adalah couple yang Unik.... teruslah berjihad dijalan allah... Buat abu urwah dan famili... doa kami mengiringi kesempitan antum.... kami sedar bahawa, kita sebagai muslimin...kita diduga berkadaran dengan iman kita...lagi kuat iman lagi berat dugaan.... itu yang kami takut bila menyedari akan kehidupan kami yang agak senang lenang....Tidakkah allah menyayangi kami??? sebagaimana Dia mencintai kelurga da'wah abu urwah ini....sama2 lah utk kita fikirkan....

Finally, for freinds yang reramai kat ML nih, yang dah berpunya tuh, cepat3 langsungkan.... nanti susah, rindu merindui ni biar ikut syariat haaaaa!!! jgn sampai ter'dating' plak kat luar....ish nauzubillah.... amik contoh ammar dan anfall..hah..1 Giant RECORD ... keputusan utk melangsungkan perkwahwinan hanya berlaku 2 minggu sblm majlis akad...wah...cepat ya!! Patutla abu urwah kata..."Bersemangant betul anak saya dan ammr nak kahwin.": mana tak nye!! 2 minggu .propose dan alhamdulillah... Haa you all camne plak... go on...we need a true islamic generation... from true islamic mother n fathers....:).... Ohya... one thing that i cannot deny..... Its when pakcik2 dan makcik2 tegur..." haa anfal dah selesai... anta bila lagi muadz....?" that soalan cepu emas is thrown to me repeatedly...Nasib baik ayah ana tak mai...if not...siap pakcik2 bincang2 lagi pasal anak2 drg macam broker.... hehe oklah... take care ikhwah dan akhawat.... get prepared for the agm...wassalam

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Sahirul Amri wrote:

Ini kad jemputan kawin kami (attached). Insyallah kalo ada duit buat kenduri kat US. Akad nikah pada 10 ogos 2002.

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Husna Arshad wrote:

BismilLahi Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah....

Gugusan kesyukuran buat Rabbul Izzati, selawat dan salam buat Rasul Murabbi Teragung....

Bersama rahmat Allah dan keiizinanNya, kami:
Ahmad Auza'ie b. Mohd Arshad, dan
'Ainul Husna bt Mohd Arshad

Dengan besar hati, ingin mengundang SELURUH WARGA AHLI untuk sama-sama memeriahkan majlis Raja Sehari kekanda kami;

Ahmad 'Arif b. Mohd Arshad dengan
Raudlotul Firdaus bt Fatah Yasin

Pada hari Sabtu, 20 Julai 2002, 9 Jamadil Awal 1423h, di teratak kami- Darul Irsyad, No 625, Km 6.2, Jalan Santan, 01000 Kangar, Perlis Indera Kayangan.

Semoga kehadiran ikhwah dan akhawat semua dicucuri rahmat Ilahi serta menambah seri dan keberkatan majlis ini.

Beras kunyit kami taburi,
Air Mawar direnjis wangi,
Undangan kami seikhlas hati,
Harap sudi datang merai.

Sebarang pertanyaan boleh hubungi:
Ustaz Arif- 0133502378
Dr Afifi- 0124100768
rumah- 049385499

Turut mengundang:
Kak Qurrotul Aien bt Fatah Yassin sekeluarga... :)

"Ya Allah, seandainya telah kau catatkan mereka bakal hidup bersama, satukanlah hati mereka, titipkanlah kemesraan diantara mereka, kurniakanlah rahmah dan
mawaddah dalam hidup mereka, agar kebahagiaan itu kekal abadi, dunia dan akhirat... Amin, Ya Rabbal 'Alamin."

Istimewa untuk Abg Auzaie tersayang,di perantauan...
Selamat Hari Ulangtahun kelahiran ke-22.(8 Julai).
Semoga Abg Zaie kan kekal menjadi abg yang soleh...
Beroleh rahmat dan hidayah Allah selalu..
Sejahtera dunia dan akhirat..

Happy becoming birthday untuk Abg Arif.. (11 Julai)

Sekian, Wassalam.

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Janna wrote:

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatuLlahi wabarakaatuh

'afwan, asyik terlupa je nak bgtau jemputan nih..

Dengan sukacitanya, dijemput semua 3rd batch hira' utk ke walimah sahabat kita Suzee Omar, insyaAllah pada 25 Ogos 2002 di rumahnya di Taman Rahsna.

pesan suzee, siapa yg dtg bawak hadiah sorang satu.

maklumat lanjut akan diberitahu..sekian.

AstaghfiruLlah, astaghfiruLlah, astaghfiruLlah.
wassalam.

-janna`{@


Did i use my time, did i use my mind?
if i search my heart, what will i find?

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Azral wrote:

assalamualaikum..

i want to spread out this good news for us..

zulhilmi haron (5/8) will get married on this may 20,2002. the
kenduri at his house is on may 25. so he told me to invite all of you
to come to his house at kota star,kedah on may 25..hiscoming wife is
kedahian and um student too.

unfortunately his fiancee was not kisasian... heh he said that
kisasian girls have no quality...heheh... he said that, i just write
it back..he asked to do so..

okay wasalam..

luv...azral