360 sendi

of branding and perceptions

2011-12-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

Salam Alaykum

Everything needs a brand.

Everything, in fact, everyone needs a brand.

A brand helps a product, an item, or an entity to be known. It gives an identity, an image, even a perception by others on its owner. A 'brandless' item would be too mysterious it raises suspicions to the interested few. Even an X-file is of course, given the brand X.It's simple, it's short, and yes, it gives a whole new dimension to an item's image. I don't know about you, but i sure think that the X-Men wouldn't be as cool if they are called Y-Men or maybe A-Men. The latter sounds too academic while the former, well 'sounds' (note : not 'smells') fishy.

Well of course, for human beings we call these brands as NAMES. In English grammar we call them NOUNS. A word, or words that give(s) names to something. As Aminah is a name to that sweet girl with cute dimples on both cheeks playing at the swing, Kerusi is that plastic, four-legged object placed behind a desk.

I always believe that brands have power. Like I said earlier, they give an identity, an image, and they shape the perception others choose to embrace. Consider naming your twin kid 'Aminah' and 'Aisyah', for example. People would say it's normal. No eyebrows raised. But say you name them 'Aminah' and 'Tiara Jacquelina' or maybe 'Anna Kournikova', some heads might turn and give that puzzled look you'd be nervous to stare. People might ask, 'Why the difference?', or 'Why so different?' or maybe even 'Are you joking?'. Say, you move on with that plan. The names remain. I bet that twin kid if yours might be bombarded with the same questions you had just now, as they grow up. Their experience of course, would be longer as they are the ones carrying that name, not you, and not until they turn 18 (or 21?) that they can officially change their names at the Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara. Growing up might be tough, having to answer all these questions. Treatment might be given differently by teachers and friends.

And that is why the Prophet pbuh said clearly that among the rights a child have on his/her parents is to be given a good name. A good calling. A good brand. It's a right, man!

Nowadays when we talk about organizing programs we discuss about the crowd-pulling factor. Some would suggest making the activities fun and interesting. Some would go for calling big names to fill in the slots. Some, meanwhile, would go for publicity. I believe that all the said suggestions are good suggestions. And to add an 'umph' to all that, I suggest 'a good brand'. Try this. Name me three most famous detergents you know today.....

1

2

3

Done? I believe you'd go for FAB, BREEZE and maybe any of these - TROJAN, TOP, DAIA. EKONOMI HANDALAN or KUAT HARIMAU are surely out of league. Now why do you think these two brands top the list? Yes, they've got quality, they have publicity, and they have powerful brands. Brands that housewives would blurt out of their mouth without realizing they are making free publicity. Brands that feels light on the lips but heavy on impression. A simple FAB somehow feels stronger than HARIMAU, aite?

(to be continued)

Knowledge is Power VS Empowering Knowledge

2011-10-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

When I was young, I was told that KNOWLEDGE is POWER. Those who possess knowledge will not be cheated, get a good job, and lead a good life. Being a decent kid, I held to this wholeheartedly. So I studied hard and struggled like everyone – to get good grades in exams. I noticed that knowledge indeed is powerful. Once you get at the top of your class, teachers would treat you differently. They smile more and get angry at you less. You also become popular among your friends. This happens to an extent that when you leave a game, let’s say galah panjang at the school field, a friend would say “Fendi tak main aku tak nak mainlah” and the game would not proceed because you were not there. Talk about peer-influence.

In the Islamic Education class, I learnt that those who wish for the world need knowledge. Likewise, those who wish for bounties of the hereafter need it too. Knowledge is so powerful here it permits you pathways to achieving the best of both worlds. Many people realize this and are becoming knowledge-hungry in a sense that every family is sending their children to get the highest education possible. The common consensus nowadays is that the higher the education one receives, the higher one will climb up the social status ladder. Better education = better job + better pay + better life. What I always wonder is if one would consider adding another component into the equation, making it “Better education = better job + better pay + better life + better AFTERlife”, hence not leaving the hereafter factor behind.

I personally believe that KNOWLEDGE is POWER but have a more personal preference to KNOWLEDGE EMPOWERs and the underlying process of EMPOWERING KNOWLEDGE. A sage says,

"To know and understand something is better than knowing everything but understand nothing"

An Arabic proverb meanwhile says,
“Knowledge unpracticed is like a tree that bears no fruit”

People can choose to empower their knowledge. One obvious way is by increasing its depth of understanding or vastness of coverage. This is done by learning and reflecting. Another way, a less taken one, is transforming knowledge into meaningful actions that benefit others. This of course, is led by an intention extended beyond life (remember : Better education = better job + better pay + better life + better AFTERlife). For example, a teacher transforms his knowledge into actions by changing the unwise into people of wisdom while a contractor transforms his knowledge into actions by developing structures for the good of others with integrity.

Today is the day when people see the power of knowledge but somehow blinded from empowering their knowledge. Albert Einstein once said,
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift while the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant but has forgotten the gift”.

What we need today is more people appreciating the fact that they are blessed with knowledge and the power that entails.

What we need today is more people, with gratitude, who acknowledge the responsibility to empower their knowledge for the benefit of others.

What we need today is a system that makes people, from adolescents to adults, get the message that the more knowledge they have, the more they should give and not just get.

I’m proposing a solution that might work and put this problem at rest. It worked for me, and inshaAllah, might work for you too. It lies in a simple advice by our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him;

“The best of mankind is those who benefit the most to others” (Narrated by Bukhari)

Let’s live with the intention of helping others in their course of living. The more knowledge we have, the more benefit we should think of for other people.

The prophet also said,

“ If I have to walk with a brother to fulfill his needs, that I love more than doing I’tikaf for a month in my mosque “ (HR.Thabrani).

We are sharing the world we are living in now. And by Allah's willing, if we reach the Jannah, we'll still be sharing Allah's grace too.

.
.
.

“Hiduplah untuk memberi sebanyak-banyaknya, bukan menerima sebanyak-banyaknya”
(Pak Harfan in Laskar Pelangi)

Assalamualaikum.

Small deeds that matter

2011-10-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Salam Alaykum

We sometimes overlook small deeds that actually bring big impacts to our lives. Let’s have a look at some of them. Practice them in life and you will see a big difference..InshaAllah, good tidings are coming your way! (^_^)

1. Spreading salaam

Like lovers who share beautiful words every chance they get, Muslims should do the same by spreading salaam. Spreading salaam is like spreading love to everyone, whether you know them or not. What nicer thing can you say to someone than a hope for love, peace and harmony? Come, let’s start spreading salaam everywhere we go now. You might find a good buddy just waiting around a corner.

Abu Huraira reported: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“ You shall not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Should I not direct you to a thing which, if you do, will foster love amongst you: give attention to (paying salutation to one another by saying) As-Salamu Alaikum”
(Narrated by Muslim)

2. Showing a bright face (and a smile, of course!)

What is the curve that can make everything straight? Yes, you are right. It’s a smile J.Smile is the smallest form of charity. An honest smile relieves stress, changes moods and brings joy to others. The Prophet pbuh was known as a person who never fails to smile to anyone he meets. No wonder everybody liked him. People find all the reasons to when they look at his face!

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“Do not abuse anyone…Do not look down upon any good work, and when you speak to your brother, show him a cheerful face”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood)

Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, “I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you”
(Dale Carnegie in How to Win Friends and Influence People)

3. Queuing in line (diligently)

Well, queuing (and waiting) might be boring. But what is there to lose by queuing nicely and staying in line until our turn comes? Be it while waiting for public transportation or having our business settled at a public office (for example), people who are patient and choose to tolerate are always respected and looked up to. Isn’t patience but a fragment of our imaan? J

Saidina Ali r.a. said:

“Patience is a fragment of iman, just like the head is a fragment of the body. Lose your patience and you lose your iman”

4. Holding the door to the people behind you

Wouldn’t it be great if wherever we go, there are people holding the door for us? We feel special, respected and appreciated. Let’s make others feel the same way too! In Europe, holding the door to the people behind is a measure for manners and politeness. Spread the respect and love by doing the simplest of deeds. Besides, extra few seconds of hand exercise could come in handy during these hectic times.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“Truly the faithful are to one another like components of a building—each part supports the other”

(Narrated by Muslim and Bukhari)

5. Leaving your shoes (or footwear) orderly

First impressions do not only cover what is seen on you but also what is left from you. Remember the last time you step into the masjid, at public place or even your house, with shoes neatly placed? The Japanese has this practice rooted in their lives. It was told that even at evacuation centers where earthquake victims take shelter, the Japanese never forget to leave their shoes neatly like any other normal days. Talk about discipline and neatness!

of losses and gains

2011-10-16T00:53:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykum

It's amazing how one single person can change the way millions of people think. It's also fascinating how one single person can shape values, shift paradigms and challenge history. Not many people, man or woman, belong to this class of people. Some people call them genius, some say gifted, or special. Their lives bring impact to others and their presence felt. Their absence of course, is felt even deeper.

Let's have a look at some names the world has almost unanimously called genius, gifted or special. Have they touched your lives? If so, in what ways?

(the late) Steve Jobs

A Reed College dropout, Steve was the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc. Practically revolutionized the way computers work and how people see them, Steve spearheaded the launch of Mac computers, iTune, iPod, iTune, iTune Store, iPhone and iPad. His legacy includes a line of catchy brands with appealing designs introduced to the world with new philosophies and visions for the future. His cruise to success had a rough course in his younger years. In his commencement speech upon Stanford graduates, he shared his experience of sleeping on the floor in friends' rooms, returning Coke bottles for food money, and getting weekly free meals at the local Hare Krishna temple after dropping out of college.

Steve Jobs passed away on the 5th of October, 2011, leaving millions of mourners all over the world. Steve Jobs has done a lot…but was it enough?

In 1978, Michael H. Hart released his book, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. The book, which was reprinted in 1992 depicts the people who, according to Hart, most influenced human history. Guess who topped the list. It’s the illiterate shepherd named Muhammad bin Abdullah, our Prophet pbuh.

In his book, Hart describes Prophet Muhammad as the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular levels. Not only that he was the man behind the spreading of the religion of truth, freeing men from enslavement of people and unworthy idols, Muhammad pbuh established a system of values so perfect and beautiful it drove the rise of a new civilization – one that previously called Jahiliyyah (the ignorant) to the righteous and respect-deserving.

In Hart’s exact words, “never has a man accomplished such a huge and lasting revolution in the world, because in less than two centuries after its appearance, Islam, in faith and in arms, reigned over the whole of Arabia, and conquered, in God's name, Persia, Khorasan, Transoxania, Western India, Syria, Egypt, Abyssinia, all the known continent of Northern Africa, numerous islands of the Mediterranean, Spain, and a part of Gaul.”

In his short 23 years of leadership, Muhammad pbuh was a philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational thoughts, of a unified colour-blind religion; the founder of twenty physical empires and of one spiritual empire. He left a legacy so soundly based it does not crumble with wind and thunder nor wither with the weather. Counting all current standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well travel the world and wonder, is there any man greater than him?

Many years have passed since the man named Muhammad bin Abdullah left us. A many great list of amazing and inspirational people have also come and go, leaving their marks on the history of mankind. Let’s learn from all these people, as the Prophet have said;

الحكمة ضالة المؤمن فحيث وجدها فهو أحق بها (رواه الترمذي)

“Wisdom is like a precious commodity that is lost. A believer must always be in search of it. Wherever he finds it, he must act upon what it dictates.” (Narrated by Tirmidhi)

Seek for wisdom wherever you might find it. Seek it, because your ummah needs it.

every exit is an entry

2011-09-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykum

It has been almost two years since I wrote an entry under the same title as this one. A title that i chose based on a saying so simple yet so powerful it made me stop and ponder, and move...but only to stop again.

We live in small cubicles that we set, conjure and declare as 'our space'. Out of a vast piece of land, we place walls on some corners and angles and we make it a place to get our activities done, and needs fulfilled. We breathe the air in that space of ours, we step on the soil that lay beneath our feet..all within that space. We meet people, we share ideas, we interact, we make jokes, we shed tears and we live our lives in that space.

Sometimes we go out because we need to, or when we want to. We feel afraid to step outside when there's thunder and lightning. 'It's safer inside', we said. But we wander to the wider and richer space outside, when the tide is clear, and when the time is right. We extend our hands to touch the white, sparkling sands, and we breathe and engulf the crisp and refreshing morning air. Not everything can be done inside, we know. and not everything can be fulfilled inside, we realize.

The space provides us protection, and we always feel grateful for that. It keeps us from the heavy rain and scary blizzard. It shields us from the mighty scorching heat. It warms us when the air gets too chilly and dry.

But the bird needs to leave its nest. The cub needs to learn how to hunt. The butterfly needs to parade its beauty.

Every exit is an entry.

What lies ahead at the end of the tunnel is something one could not guarantee. But what one can be sure of, is that there lies a glimpse of light, sometimes flickering, that keeps people moving. They know it's dark in the tunnel. It's damp, wet and scary, but they just keep on moving, as they could still see the light.

'I see the light, I see the light', they say.

I see the light too. And I'm taking some back.

155. be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss In goods or lives or the Fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere,

156. who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah we belong, and to Him is Our return":-

157. They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and They are the ones that receive guidance.
(Al-Baqarah:155-157)

38. O ye who believe! what is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth In the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? do ye prefer the life of This world to the Hereafter? but Little is the comfort of This life, As compared with the Hereafter.

(At-Taubah:38)

poem darjah tiga

2011-05-02T02:08:00.000-07:00

source

If only I could swim

into the ocean so deep

I would touch and I would dream

The ocean's wonders I can keep

If only I could fly

high above onto the sky

I would grab and I would try

to catch the stars so high

If only I could walk

A million miles with ease

I would roam around the world

and spread the words of peace

If only I could shout

And release my anger all out

I would shout my heart out,

"Israel, get the hell out!"

If only I could have

A heart and soul so pure

I would love and I'd be brave

Challenges in life, I will endure

If only I could see

The heavens and pleasures I always dream

I'd ponder and I'd believe

Allah is, the ultimate supreme

If only I could climb

The highest mountain, and the highest tree

I would gaze and I would rhyme

The land's beauty, to the highest degree

If only I could freeze

My life's problems with a single whisper

I'd say "O Allah, please..

Let me stay a little longer!"

If only...if only...

of my second home

2011-03-20T03:58:00.000-07:00

Come, join us! ^_^

of teaching, and being taught

2011-03-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

Salam Alaykum.

Reminiscing the school days, with all the laughters, dramas and goofy acts always make me giggle like a school girl. Sometimes I even had to hold myself from rolling on the floor , thanks to uncontrollable ecstasy. Those were the times when you are teeming with teen spirit, ever ready to try everything. Those were the times when you would say, 'Hey, why not?' to almost all possible taunts and challenges.

Yep, there were times when sadness strike, harbouring the old memories that better be forgotten. Then again, those were the gurus who helped nurture and mature my inner self, making it strong and susceptible of 'invisible' attacks.

Thinking of who I am at school, I believe, would probably not bring me to this end. Or maybe I am being too critical of myself, I'm not sure too. But one thing for sure, I can still remember the time when I said almost confidently,

"Saya nak jadi cikgu, Cikgu"
(Thank you, Pn. Rahayu Kandar, for asking me 'Awak nak jadi apa, Irwan?')

................................................

People dream, and they are told to dream big.

By having big dreams, people get new names...visionary and optimist are among others.

'Aim for the stars, reach for the sky', we commonly hear them.

There's nothing wrong with dreaming big. In fact, dreaming big, and holding on to that dream is indeed a propelling factor in one's life. It sets someone's life course directed and focused. It makes one's life possess meaning. Dale Carnegie in The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking said successful people keep their goal before them. Their goal is of course, their dream.

What could be a topic of discussion is like, "When can a dream be a 'big' dream?"
or "How can I know that my dream is big enough"?

This I believe, could bring forth different opinions as different people have different standards and different backgrounds to begin with. It's not uncommon to hear parents who want their children to become lawyers or doctors when the latter want to be artists or take some other profession instead.

Their dream just doesn't seem to be big enough (or so people say).

.......................

It's absolutely OK for me to accept the fact that not all people share the same dream as mine. I'm cool with that. Having the experience of living and mixing with people of different backgrounds and way of thinking taught me to be matured enough to accept and respect differences.

But still, I have to admit that sometimes I do get frustrated when other people, these 'big dreamers' look down on the dreams or aspirations of others (that includes me, of course). Well, they might not say it, but the actions show a different story.

Some people tend to forget that humans are created as creatures that live in communities. Each and everyone is unique, be it their physical look, the way they talk, walk, think, or even their likes and dislikes, as stated by a great psychophysicist, Howard Moskowitz and quoted in Gladwell's speech ;

"There IS no perfect PEPSI...there ARE only perfect PEPSIs"

So unique we are that our uniqueness and diverse differences make us complement each other, making the puzzle complete. Just as what I shared to my students,

"We are like puzzle pieces, each with unique sizes, shapes and colours. Each of us is special in our own way. But what makes us complete is when we are put together, side by side. We form a marvellous picture. We complete each other and we benefit others."

............................

Dream big, brothers.

And remember,that everyone else's is big too in their own way.

My dream is to teach and I have absolute faith in how big the dream I am pursuing.

My dream is to teach those who need it most and currently I am doing it here.

Dream big, and live your dream.

Yours could be different, and I wish you the best of luck.

Fear(and love) God, and He'll lead you the way.

"O mankind! we created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and Tribes, that ye may know Each other (Not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the Most honoured of you In the sight of Allah is (He who is) the Most righteous of you. and Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)"

(Al-Hujuraat : 13)

of Shaolin Soccer and pesat

2011-02-20T04:26:00.000-08:00

Salam Alaykum

Ever since I was a kid, one of the things that amazed me A LOT was the high-flying, eye blinding slick movements of KUNG FU. Each and every steps never failed to have my eyes glued to the TV screen, and jaws dropped, barely enough to hold my saliva from wetting the floor. It's magical for me, and it beats all those gadget-inspired action dramas or movies; be it the Power Rangers, Voltron, Superman (and the stupid underwear), not even Ultraman.

And what else could actually make kung fu better than to see it performed by a mystical group of people from the mountains of China; the Shaolin monks.

I admire them, I really do.

..............................

PESAT SHAOLIN SOCCER

As a simple guy, I believe in celebrating the nature of human and it's cycle of habits before actually enforcing (or persuading) something new into anyone. Naturally, no one likes to be forced to break his/her routine, be it a good or a bad one. Having forced to break our routine, one that we are accustomed with, felt comfortable with, is like waging a war against our fitrah. It's like being told to fast, and resisting our nafs without a guarantee of having an iftar..well, at least that's how I understand it.

PESAT (Program Pembangunan Sahsiah Terpuji), serving it's industrious duty of mending the students' hearts, isn't always a welcomed guest by everyone. Some students even detest it, and declare of having a migraine upon hearing it being announced. In short, for some, PESAT is an attempt at intruding one's comfort zone, one that is meant to disrupt the normal cycle in life, and set a new routine with no absolute guarantee.

Here comes the need for a da'ie to realize that his mad'uws are indeed human. And humans have needs to be recognized and of course, celebrated.

Three weeks have passed since I brought Shaolin Soccer into my PESAT meeting. Yep, we recited verses of Qur'an, we narrated hadeeths and traditions of the Prophet, we discussed about our religion, and we watched Shaolin Soccer.

Yes, we watched Shaolin Soccer.

Started with a short video of Liquid Mountaineering and a light discussion on human potentials (like human indeed can WALK ON WATER), we proceeded with a laid back, filled-with-laughter movie watching that ended around 11pm. Realizing that time is short, I initiated a discussion on the Islamic values found in the movie and masyaAllah, obtained amazingly positive responses.

The students were eager to share their views and insights, and provided critical analysis on the scenes that they consider meaningful, inspirational, and of course, Islamic.

Together we reflected on Mighty Steel Leg's (Stephen Chow) solid faith on shaolin kung fu and the benefits it could bring to the world. We admired his firmness in 'marketing' the martial art even when he got ridiculed and made fun at. His jovial, relaxed and full of confidence attitude taught us that no problem is too big to handle, no mountain is too high to conquer. We learned that faith is something that makes you strong, and it's not a burden, not at all. We learned that faith is something that could turn your heart as solid as a stone, but is still able to shape a smile on your face. We learned that faith lights your heart with hope, and knowing that Allah's love is endless and unlimited, we know that hope is always there. As said by the Prophet (pbuh) himself to Abu Bakr in their hiding from the sight of the Quraisy;

La Takhaf wa la tahzan. Innallaha ma'ana
(Fear not, and do't be sad. Verily, Allah is with us)

and in the Holy Quran;

So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.
(Ali Imran:139)

We also discussed critically on the scene when the newly formed Shaolin soccer team had their first friendly match and was abused brutally by the opposing game. We witnessed how the team was beaten and humiliated, and had their pride lost when Iron Head surrendered and succumbed to the oppponent's order to put his underwear on his head. We realized that without faith, people would seek shortcuts, or easier ways to detour from the problem. We also realized that the opposing team, one who cheated the game and brought in dangerous 'tools' into the pitch, also have issues with faith. They cheated because they don't feel they could win.

Next, we discussed on how human beings sometimes have to experience the WORST in their lives before bouncing back to get a better life. We questioned ourselves,

'Why do we usually let ourselves receive a huge blow before we actually respond?'

'Why can't we bounce back at the littlest threats?'

We saw that the team only revived their spirit after Iron Head had to put the opponent's underwear on his head. We saw that they had to endure a humiliation so big before getting the spirit to bounce back.

We asked ourselves, "Is it worth it?"

...............................

Our PESAT ended past midnight and man, it was the longest PESAT I've ever attended yet. We parted with meaningful smiles and heart warming salaams.

Thank you Allah...thank you for letting this happen.

spin-off of talking and acting

2010-12-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

source

Salam Alaykum.

Lama rasanya tidak menulis dalam bahasa ibunda di sini. Mungkin sudah hampir setahun, sejak aku ambil keputusan untuk menulis in English. Entahlah, tiba-tiba terasa ingin menulis satu spin-off tentang post sebelum ini. Kerana bernilainya isi dlm entry itu untuk difahami (bahkan untuk diri sendiri), maka aku tuliskan (untuk diri sendiri juga) isi entry itu dalam bahasa ibunda, cuma mungkin dengan approach yang agak berbeza.

Salah satu perkara yang aku selalu hajatkan dlm doa ialah bantuan Allah untuk diri aku, bantuan Allah untuk KTD, dan bantuan Allah untuk mereka yang berada di KTD. Bantuan itu dalam bentuk apa, aku serahkan kepada Allah. Aku yakin, Allah itu Maha Mengetahui lagi Maha Understanding, dan KTD serta umatnya perlukan terlalu banyak bantuan yang pasti memakan masa berjam-jam lamanya untuk aku sebutkan dalam doa.

Satu perkara yang juga aku selalu doakan ialah 'kecukupan'. Doa itu ada dalam al-Mathurat (rujuk sendiri) dan ada juga yang disebut dalam hadith,

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى

“Ya Allah, sesungguhnya aku memohon petunjuk, ketakwaan,

diri yang terjaga dan kecukupan kepada-Mu.” (HR. Muslim, no. 6842)

dan yang lebih selalu aku ucapkan "Ya Allah, kurniakanlah aku kecukupan" dalam Bahasa Melayu kerana aku juga yakin, yang Allah itu tuan punya segala bahasa dan yang paling arif akan apa yang perlu dicukupkan kepada aku.

Hari ini, aku berada di bumi barakah KTD. Menghirup oksigen percuma dan mengenang tempoh singkat aku menumpang rahmat Allah yang diturunkan melimpah ruah di sini. 1 tahun 7 bulan aku menumpang di KTD, membayar hutang ilmu dengan Allah, menyebar dan menabur benih hikmah pada hamba-hambaNya. Mengajar bukan kerana tahu, tapi kerana ada hati-hati yang perlu. Berpesan bukan kerana sempurna, tapi kerana ada hati-hati yang dahaga.

Bila berpesan, mesti disusuli tindakan. Bila mengingatkan, mesti ada zahir perlakuan.

"Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, mengapa kamu mengatakan sesuatu yang tidak kamu kerjakan?Itu sangatlah dibenci di sisi Allah jika kamu mengatakan sesuatu yang kamu tidak kerjakan"

(As-Saff : 2-3)

Voice your thoughts. Act your voice.

Kita mungkin mampu untuk menyuarakan. Tapi untuk bertindak selari dengan apa yang diucapkan, memang perlukan jiddiyah dan mujahadah. Memang benarlah peribadi Muslim yang sebnar itu lengkap serba-serbi. Sebagaimana kata Ustaz dalam liqa' pagi kami di KTD, pesanan Rasulullah itu sehingga ke tahap panduan memakai selipar,

"Apabila memakai selipar, maka mulakanlah dengan kaki kanan. Dan apabila menanggalkannya, mulakanlah dengan kaki kiri"

MasyaAllah!

Bertindak selari dengan apa yang dikata adalah satu aspek yang wajib dititikberatkan. Satu lagi aspek yang tak kurang penting, adalah berfikir sebelum berkata. Kerana, seperti nasihat yg pertama tadi, apa yang dikata mesti diselarikan dengan tindakan. Berfikirlah bukan untuk menyusun ayat yang nak dikata, tapi isi yang disampaikan. Berfikirlah untuk membantu merungkai masalah, bukan menonjolkan yang diri 'ada ilmu nak dikongsi'. Maka di sini aku tambahkan tajuk entri ni menjadi spin-off of thinking, talking and acting. Banyaknya masalah yang tak selesai kerana yang diucapkan itu tak kena tempatnya. Malah banyak juga masalah baru yang timbul. Lebih banyak yang diucap, maka lebih banyakla akauntabiliti yang harus ditanggung; dari sudut amalan sendiri, telinga yang mendengar dan hati+akal yang mentafsir.

Aku beri satu contoh untuk bab berfikir sebelum berkata ini. Situasi : 'Apabila seorang pemuda meluahkan ketidakcukupannya'. Perbuatan meluahkan ini sebenarnya sukar bagi sesetengah orang. Ibarat membuka aib sendiri, meminta ihsan sedangkan diri sendiri kelihatan masih mampu. Ibarat cuba meletakan maslah sendiri di bahu org lain (untuk aku yang tak banyak bercakap ini, memang ada unsur-unsur begini). Maka dapat dibayangkan, apabila seorang pemuda meluahkan ketidakcukupannya, maka ia pastilah telah difikirkan dalam-dalam, dan harus ditangani dengan dalam-dalam juga. Fikirnya dalam-dalam, cakapnya dalam-dalam, dan tindakannya dalam-dalam juga. Kerana, kalau silap ditangani, memang boleh makan dalam!

Pemuda A : Aku rasa aku ada ketidakcukupan...

Pemuda B : (Mendengar dengan khusyu')

Pemuda A : Lalu bagaimana? (Mengharap nasihat/bantuan)

Pemuda B : Pada pendapat aku, kau perlu berkahwin. (Lalu menyambung dengan syarah panjang tentang sirah yang menceritakan tentang pemuda yang disuruh berkahwin untuk mengubah nasibnya, sambil ditokok dengan petikan dari Qur'an tentang Allah membuka pintu rezeki kepada mereka yang berkahwin. Selesai bersyarah, dia bangun bersalam dan meminta diri, katanya mahu menjemput anak di nursery.Ekspresi wajah penuh kepuasan)

Pemuda A : ............

Apa yang tak kena?

of talking and acting

2010-12-08T23:16:00.000-08:00

source

Salam Alaykum

One of the most influential words that once shook my heart up until now is a hadeeth by the Prophet saw;

"When any one of you sees anything that is disapproved (of by Allah), let him change it with his hand. If he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his tongue. And if he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his heart, though that is the weakest (kind of) faith."

(Narrated by Muslim)

So powerful this hadeeth was, it made me tremble of fear. Fearful of my undone duties. Fearful of my long neglected faith. I realized then, I was simply satisfied of having the weakest kind of faith. I felt enough by just loathing and leaving a disapproving stare.

The hadeeth opened my eyes wide. Really wide. I've been idling for too long, feeling enough of something that thin. Something which I am so sure will take me nowhere. Yet I just let it be.

And then I made the decision. I HAVE TO SPEAK UP. I have to carry this duty with me. I have to see the efforts of enjoining ma'ruf and prohibiting munkar as a profession.

"We are du'ats, before other things"

I have to make myself learned, for I must know what I have to say, how should I say it and why should I say it.

Bit by bit, I built my confidence. Praise upon God, He made my path vast and clear.

I had the opportunity to mix and mingle with all kinds of people, of different gender, age group, job and status, even nationalities.

When I speak, people listen.

When I am around, people start behaving.

When people have queries, they consulted me.

Now, how comforting is that for a self-confessed daie?

Alhamdulillah. Allah has shown me the way. He awakened me, and showed me the way.

But Allah reminded me of something. Something that I regretfully has not been fulfilling with my best.

O believers! Why do you say what you never do? It is most odious in Allah's sight that you should say that which you do not do. (As Saff : 2-3)

O Allah, forgive me and those who walk in the same path.

If it is our unparallel words and acts that brings your wrath, forgive us ya Allah.

If it is our unparallel words and acts that make people blinded of your light, forgive us ya Allah. If it is our unparallel words and acts that makes people sick of listening to your words, forgive us ya Allah!

Brothers and sisters, let us all ask ourselves, have we made our words real? If we have, how far?

How far have we made our acts a vivid reflection of our words?

We talk about sincerity and truthfulness. Have we been sincere and true to ourselves?

We talk about time and its value. We quoted from Sura al-Asr. Have our acts really show that we treasure the value of time?

We talk about togetherness and ukhwah. We proudly said, "Mu'mins are brothers". Have we treated the people around us as brothers? Or do we just show our loves on those close to us..those who share the same fikrah?

O Allah, help me in fulfilling my words. I have spoken too much, yet acted too little. Help me be prepared, O God, for I know every word I say, is my accountability.

"Those who remember Allah while standing,

sitting and lying down, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the

earth, (saying): Our Lord! Surely, You have not created all these in vain.

Glory be to You! Save us from the chastisement of the Fire"

(Ali Imran : 191)

of duty, and responsibility

2010-11-26T00:05:00.001-08:00

source

Salam alaykum

stepping out of campus life, only to peek and indulge in again, commonly makes me wonder of the path that God has laid upon me - the slowly unraveling path that answers the questions of where and what to study, of who to choose as a long life company, and of why I chose to uphold this duty, and responsibility.

phasing out, and liberating myself off the mindset of a student to the career that i perform today isn't easy.

circling around me, are the usual scenes and shots of the dramas that I myself just acted in during the old days.

books and papers, slides and assignments, laughters and giggles of students, all just keep piling up on the 'new' life portrait that I'm trying to paint after these years, blocking my access to change its hues and shades.

and in real life, one of the struggle is.....

to appreciate duty and responsibility.

.................................

"Okey, kita berhenti Subuh. Siapa nak sembahyang bangunlah, tak nak sembahyang tak payah bangun", said the bus driver coolly, on one of my occasional trips from home to work.

DUTY = NO RESPONSIBILITY?

...................................

DUTY and RESPONSIBILITY.

what do we actually understand from these words?

do we see any difference? or are we just seeing double?

"What is meant by duty? Duty refers to what is DUE to others. For example, parents have the duty to care for their children and teachers have the duty to bring out the best in their pupils.

What about responsibility? Responsibility is to hold ourselves accountable. It is a way of saying, "the buck stops here." It also recognizes that if we take credit for our successes, we must take responsibility for our failures. Of course, we cannot be held responsible for situations beyond our control, but we are responsible for the way we act during such situations."

source

have I done enough in fulfilling my duty?

am I fully aware of my responsibility?

have i function accordingly in running my duty?

do i realize the consequences of the way i run my duty, towards my responsibility?

have I tried my best, in fulfilling my duty?

am I aware, that giving my best is a responsibility for me?

Have you?

...................

Dear Irwan,

Growing up is mandatory.

My duty, IS my responsibility.

In depth comprehension of them IS without doubt, a priority.

What I chose to do today, the duty that I duly receive, entails a set of responsibility.

I can't possibly say I've fulfilled my duty, if I hold no responsibility for it.

For I truly believe,

"And whosoever does an atom's weight of good, he shall see it. And whosoever does an atom's weight of evil, he shall see it." [99: 7-8]

....................

"Ummati...Ummati"

Peace and blessings to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the man who sees duty and responsibility as one, more than anyone else, then, until the end.

'Allahumma, Ya Muqallibal Qulub,

Thabbit qulubuna ala deenik wa ala ta'atik

"O Allah, O turner of hearts!

Keep our hearts steadfast on Thy religion and obedience"

Staying positive

2010-11-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

Thank you, dearest students!

Salam alaykum

Negativity check.

I'm trying to 'cleanse' my soul and working spirit off these negative auras surrounding me. Hell, these auras keep piling up everyday. Imagine listening to a non-stop boom box everyday, airing the Negative News FM, resonating, beating your eardrums with its piercing tune.

Breathe in...and out.

And, a day's work is over. Going back home, dreaming of warm, opened hands embracing my soul, alleviating all the tiredness of a hard day job, only to see a room shaken by the Sumatran earthquake, and yes, stop dreaming, Irwan. No warm, opened hands for you, not now.

Breathe in...and out.

I need a break. I need something to push me beyond my limits. I need something to burn my desire, something to fuel my passion. I need something to urge and motivate me, transforming me into a fresh and young me.

'Me' who is ever willing to try everything for the good of the students. 'Me' who never get tired of living for others. 'Me' whose problems, frustrations and anger,could easily be washed away by the sight of a brother performing the solah, and expressing joy in his eyes.

And then it came. A tonic from God, through his lovely servants, who makes me alive again... at least for now.

"Everything that comes from my students is a blessing from God"

"Everything that comes from everyone around me is a blessing from God"

"Shiny, wonderful pearls were indeed, insides of muddy, ugly oysters"

"The more I get negatively charged, the more positive I must be. That makes me neutral"

"If you do not help him (Prophet Muhammad), then indeed Allah will help him as He helped him when the disbelievers (of Makkah) drove him out (from Makkah) (and he was but) the second of the two; when they two were (sheltering) in the cave(287), he said to his companion: Grieve not. Truly Allah is with us.Allah caused His tranquillity to descend upon him (Muhammad) and sent to his aid invisible forces (of angels). And Allah brought utterly low the cause of the unbelievers and exalted the Word of Allah (Islam) making it supreme (forever), for Allah is Almighty, All-Wise."

(at-Taubah:40)

rummaging through old sketches

2010-09-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 1:32 pm at http://onn2508.blog.friendster.com/2008/04/benderam-i/

BENDER…am i?

heh…it’s been a while since i last posted anything in my blog..yeah, and that ‘while’ was like, a year ago? kui3…
then again, life goes on…it’s dynamic, ever changing…
we change as we grow, we change as we move, as we pace, as we spark the impulses in our synapses, trying to get it pass the heavy traffic of electric signals along the neurotic highway, one which we usually just call thinking…hehh

**********************************************************************************

i was laughing hard in my room, spending the little time i have for myself (and praise upon God for granting me those), watching FUTURAMA when suddenly a thought just popped into my mind…i dunno, maybe all those laughing just made my reflexes to be quicker (like i can catch a fly with a chopstick) or maybe i was just imagining things..
there’s one character in the series, a robot called BENDER.
man this robot is hillarious. he’s a robot programmed to bend things..yeah, just that, bend things. but what makes him funny was the attitude he has…
BENDER is a heavy smoker, and drinker (he thinks alcohol is better than motor oil), and has this ‘hey, you hot mama’ attitude on ‘chick’ robots…neat, huh?

this special not ‘pre-installled’ feature made me wonder then, and now, how the heck can this robot be as such? does he have any short-circuits, or corrupted hard drives, or pirated drivers maybe? i mean, it’s almost impossible to see a robot does more than what it is programmed to do, however intelligent it is, right? and since it’s human who invented and programmed him, we should know how’d it happen, right?

pop!

now2,i’m a human…and i’m also programmed to do tasks…yeah, and it’s stated in my manual as well…

"and do you think We created you just to fool around and play (without any purpose) and you shall not be returned?" [24:115]

"and We did not create Jinn and Human but for them just to worship"

BENDER…am i?

* silence*

****************

And that was an entry I scribbled two years ago. Today, the message still remain the same...for the actors and the sole Director never changed the script. Not a single line, not a single word.

Eid Mubarak . . . graduates of School of Ramadhan 1431 H.

Remember your role...and let's live to give!

let it shine!

2010-08-14T00:31:00.000-07:00

source

Ramadhan Kareem! =)

cycle

2010-07-01T03:01:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykum.

The cycle is complete, and now starting to take a new route. The destination remains the same, but the pathway changed a bit. Less bumps and potholes, I hope.

Approximately a year and some months ago, I never predicted to do what I do now. Fresh and green, young and clueless are the words best to describe me then.
Fresh from the institution where I spent 4 years squeezing my brain juice and sweat, and green to the 'real' world which promises 'life'.
Young to the challenges and obstacles that lay ahead, and clueless to my own potential, and the need for it.

Approximately a year and some months ago, I was a nobody.

Getting the 'call to serve' was not a big surprise for me then, as that was what we are prepared for. But to realize the amount of responsibility to bear, once the decision was made, was honestly, heart trembling.

I was fresh and green. I was young and clueless.

Little that I know that I would be part of a group of people who sees people through their hearts, and nothing else.

Little that I know that I would be part of an institution that strives to produce humble human beings, and nothing else.

And little that I know that I have to evolve tremendously, as fast as I can.

....................

For me, KTD is a blessing from Allah to man.

It always is a blessed land, for me. A land where once a factory was built, fulfilling its industrious duty. Serving in providing the exterior needs of man.

Today, it still stands a factory. No major face lift. No 'mundo' construction.

What changed was its duty. As they always say it here, KTD memang kilang . . . 'Kilang Memproses Manusia'.

What used to be a piece of land housing a fabric factory, is now providing the space and air to breathe for a factory of hearts. Mending hearts is the major business here. If a normal factory is filled with lines of conveyor belts and busy moving forklifts, I guess KTD would be a replica of the first heart factory - the residence of Al-Arqam bin Abi Arqam. The space where hearts were officially gathered as raw materials, pre-packed in sealed crates of flesh and blood who knew too well who their Creator is.

.

.

.

.

....................

In KTD, we are committed to provide the best avenues for the growth of these raw materials . . . some of them that come by themselves, most that are shipped in, by our extended hands.

The precious elixir, the sacred potion that we call tarbiah is always the aim. For without this ingredient, the formula wouldn't be complete, the equation wouldn't equate, and the magic wouldn't work. You might ask me, 'Now why is the aim, the ingredient itself ?'

Because we are talking about a lifelong project.
Because we are talking about a lifelong investment.
Because we are putting everything on the line...
Everything...
for the 3 years that we have with these students, to prepare them for their every second, every minute of life.
So that it's Islam that they breathe in, and Islam that they breathe out.
And tarbiyah is what's going to drive them. It's an ingredient, that itself is an aim.

.........

The cycle is complete, and now starting to take a new route. The destination remains the same, but the pathway changed a bit. Less bumps and potholes, I hope.

Welcome, new students.

Farewell, seniors.

and new residents of Kolej Kediaman Tg. Chat C...Welcome, brothers.

"Sekuat-kuat ikatan iman ialah cinta dan berkasih-sayang kerana Allah dan marah juga kerana Allah". (HR Imam Ahmad)

hoping for a comeback

2010-06-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

Therefore, give warning (to men with the teachings of the Qur'an) if warning will avail them
(and surely it will);

Because he who fears Allah will heed it;
But (on the other hand) the most unfortunate ones will avoid it,
He shall be cast into the great fire and shall suffer (a woeful torment),

Where he shall neither die nor live.
(Al-A'la : 9-13)

Salam alaykum

It surely has been a very long while since I last updated this blog. I'd be lying should I say I had no time to write, or nothing to write, for Allah,with His will has shaped and laid upon events upon events, each of them to be pondered, reflected, and surely be taken lessons from.

Lifeline4Gaza and Mavi Marmara, Malaysian government's bid to legalize and 'purify' betting, the World Cup, KTD students intake and the programs entailed, and the most current news, JI in campuses are some of the events, to name a few...and I've been enjoying quite a relaxing 2-3 months now, teaching for a mere 8 hours a week, 4 hours of not much preparation needed, to be frank..

I guess it's just like what I have said in an earlier post more than a year ago, that the will, and ability to write and inspire surely is a ni'mah from God that will be granted only to those who are worthy enough.

O Allah,

if it is my sins that are holding me back,

if it is my sins that are blocking my mind,

if it is my sins that are clouding my heart,

if it is my sins that are paralyzing my will,

if it is my sins that are hindering your grace,

Please forgive me, God

Please forgive me

for I long your love

for I long your grace

for I long to write

for I long to inspire

for I long to carry my duties;

of reminding and be reminded.

Please forgive me, God.

وَذَكِّرۡ فَإِنَّ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ تَنفَعُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

And constantly give admonition (reminders), for admonition benefits the believers
(Az-Dzariyat : 55)

satisfied...are u?

2010-04-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykum

Can you please explain to me the meaning of "satisfaction"?

Because honestly I don't know.

What is clear to me is that one can savour it;

The rush of relief, and a sudden gust of ecstasy that fills the heart, flooding it with gusto.

Here in KTD, alhamdulillah, He gives me those kind of feeling, from time to time.

And I feel good.

***************

During my not-so-long tenure as a lecturer here, I've been tested with quite a mouthful experience of teaching, educating and handling green hearts who are ever eager to be touched and guided.

At times, they bring me joy.

At times, they make me turn green.

There was once (among the quite some times) when I brutally 'shoo-ed' away a student of mine for coming more than 15 minutes late after I started class.

This student was quite devastated, I believe, for he showed uneasy reactions whenever we met, when before this there usually would be a smile, or a simple gesture of respect.

Believing in the need for mending hearts I took this student for a dinner one night and we started chatting.

Over a plate of nasi goreng kampung and neslo beng, we shared stories of his family and mine, his studies, what made him left Sabah for KTD and before long, we started discussing on the more serious and private things, like his relationships he had before this, and the one I'm most interested at: his relationship with Allah.

"Ana nak tanya sikit ni, enta jawab betul2 tau"

"Ya, sir"

"Sebelum datang KTD ni, dalam seminggu berapa kali enta solat?"

He shook his head and said, "Mana ada solat sir"

"Kosong? langsung tak solat?"

"Ya, langsung nda solat"

"Solat Jumaat?"

"Jarang-jarang jugak"

"Sembahyang raya?"

"Jarang jugak sir"

His face looked calm, but cloudy.

He managed to put up a distant smile, but I know it's empty.

There was no happiness in the smile.

And that was, like 2 months ago.

During the interval, I saw tremendous changes in him. He was never absent from my class (without any concrete reason), and even better, was never late to come.

His solat? He will be in the first saff, every Fajr. And I believe, he never misses a period now.

Even if he does, it's not his will. It's not his want.

From Fajr till Isya', you can see his face in our small and modest musalla.

From a slave who never sees the need to bow his head and face his Creator, to one who couldn't wait to do it every single time, everyday.

It is now officially a week before his final exams.

Yesterday, he came to me, asking a question. The question may sound cute, but it came to me with utmost satisfaction, one that i cannot explain with words;

"Sir, dalam sehari berapa kali paling banyak kita boleh Solat Hajat?"

Praises be upon you, O Allah!

Praises be upon you!

(And yet), there are people who worship others besides Allah (to be) (His) partners, bestowing on them (in devotion and obedience) the adoration due (only) to Allah, but the love of Allah (in obedience to Him) is stronger in the faithful.

(Al Baqarah : 165)

it's a match

2010-03-27T09:27:00.001-07:00

Shoutul Harokah and KTD.

A perfect blend of adrenaline rush and an endless urge for faith, passion, strength and commitment.

Alhamdulillah, thank you Allah.

We do need this.

of the devil and his plot

2010-02-24T23:38:00.000-08:00

the slickness of the DEVIL.

the genius of his thoughts.

the centuries-old-maturity he attained.

the darkness of his hate-fueled-vengeance.

...........................

A lecturer of mine; an Associate Professor in fact, during my studying days left an 'advice' to me and my classmates in one of our classes together.

This AP teaches us Sociolinguistics - a blend of Sociology (a field of study on society, people and their nature) and Linguistics (study on nature of language).

He said,

"Mak saya kata pada saya, kalau saya nak sembahyang SUNAT, dan ada orang di sekeliling, kemudian saya takut solat saya jadi tak ikhlas kerana riak, tak perlulah sembahyang"

A naive student I was at that time, simply nodded and agreed to the advice, considering that the 'advice' actually came from a sage who 'understands human and the society' and remembered that riak can nullify the rewards of an 'amal.

This advice was actually kept in my mind before I felt of telling it to my naqib and asking for his opinion on the issue. His answer was simple,

"Kesian, Prof. Tertipu dengan syaitan"

To be honest, I was deeply shocked, and confused at first, not understanding what is the actual message that my naqib was trying to convey. my insides was shaking.

Honestly, I was confused.

But I was lucky for shortly after, I started to understand the slickness, cunning ploy of the devil, staged perfectly like an award winning drama.

**********************

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE DEVIL

They say,

"It's better to befriend your enemy than to be enemies with your friend"

It's wise to befriend your enemy because you can learn from them,and understand them when they are not aware. But it's a complete foolishness to be enemies with a friend as it would just weaken you - you lessen you strength, and you double your weakness.

The devil is our sworn enemy. (Irwan, always remember this)

Did I not enjoin on you, O you sons of Adam, not to worship Satan? Indeed he is to you an open enemy!

(36:60)

Yes, we should not befriend the Devil. In fact, the thought of befriending him should NEVER even come to mind.

But what we can do, is to UNDERSTAND his tactics.

UNDERSTAND his feelings.

UNDERSTAND his wants.

UNDRSTAND his passion.

Being a sworn enemy as declared by Allah, the devil MUST be seen as someone who would never be satisfied with a small catch.

He must be understood as someone who would never simply give up, letting go of his precious catch (us) find an escape route from his clutches.

In short, we must remember that the devil believes that "every exit is an entry".

*****************

A guy fell in love with a woman (and eventually both of them hook up)

He felt happy, and what he sees now is only the beautiful romance that they share everyday.

Once in a while, he remembered the advices given by his friends, that "One should never approach (let alone commit) zina" and he realised that he is doing so, but he just brushed the memories off.

By God's willing, something happened. They had some problems, and the relationship had to be ended. And to top everything else, it was the girl who made the call; it was the girl who said "It's over".

So this guy was devastated. He can't get a hold of his feelings. In his mind, what he sees now is the world that is crumbling down before him. He felt like he had lost everything.

For this, he shed his tears countless of times. In his sadness, he regained the realization that God actually had shown His love to him, that God wanted to divert him from his self-made road to zina. For this, he felt thankful.

But even then, couldn't focus. He felt restless. His mind was wandering. What ever that he does, he couldn't give his all. He sees the girls' face everywhere. All the laughter that they shared, the sweet words and the promises that they swore, resonated in his ears, slowly melting away his consciousness, day by day. And this happens, even in his solah.

He was afraid that God wouldn't accept his solah. Again, he shed his tears, over and over again. The calmness and peace that he seeks from his ruku' and sujud, felt impossible to attain.

So he tried reading the Qur'an. He tried humming the verses of God with his tongue for he believes;

They are the ones whose hearts rejoice in remembering GOD. Absolutely, by remembering GOD, the hearts rejoice.

[13:28]

He tried reading the Qur'an every night and day. In every spare time that he had, he'd open up his copy of the mushaf, and started reading.

Yet, his efforts come in vain.

He still couldn't brush off the memories that he had with the girl. He still couldn't brush off the silhouette of the girl, the images of her smiles and the shine of her eyes........on the pages of the Qur'an that he is holding.

And for this, he cried again.... and again. Not long after, he lost his will of living.

To kill the feeling, he made a decision.

He decided that he would hate the girl. He chose to believe that the girl is the root of the problem. He believed, slowly, sooner or later, the hate that he plants will fade away the chaos that he is suffering.

************************

The genius of the devil.

He's such a genius that in every ploy that he plans, he'd make sure that we'd still be in his clutches, one way or another.

As I said before, he is a true believer of the saying, every exit is an entry.

"You escaped my plan on you for ZINA?

You brushed off your lust?

You thrashed your desires?

You forgot your ecstasy?

I see...

Then I'll plant chaos in your mind
I'll make you lose your wisdom
I'll make you incapable of thinking
I'll steal your calmness
I'll make you restless
I'll make you impatient
I'll make you weak

I'll grow hate in your feelings
I'll make you despise your brothers
I'll divide your unity

I'll turn you CRAZY"

**********************

Get the idea now?

the supremacy of a woman : over men

2010-02-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

salam alaykum

semalam.

air mata lelaki itu tumpah. di depan aku.

semalam.

sengguk tangis itu berhenjut. di depan aku.

semalam.

kisah itu terluah. di depan aku.

Ya Allah, aku yang Kau pilih. Aku redha. Kuatkan aku!

................................

not many people know, that men could cry over women.

and most importantly, not may people know about the consequences that a man faces, when he meddles with the life of a woman. the feelings, specifically.

being in KTD, a hostel fellow especially, opens up many doors of learning and new experiences for me. 'baby sitting' 72 boys - emotionally and physically never fails to touch my inner self.

i witnessed the struggling green hearts of these boys everyday, battling against the urges for the sweetness of their 'previous lives'. the battle against the unneeded freedom that they have before - of not having to face God everyday, of not having to live according to what they are 'told' to, of having to make their own choices and decision, of leisure, entertainment and women.

....................

i was moved, yesterday when a student of mine, a hostelian, came to me with a smile, telling me that he needed some advice.

his face was calm, nothing unusual.

but much to my surprise, he broke into tears shortly after, letting his tears flow in front of me.

and that was, because of a girl. turns out this student had broken up with another student of mine, and he couldn't let the memories of the girl out of his mind.

he felt restless. he couldn't focus. his mind was wandering.

and what made him shed his tears the most was because he couldn't control himself until he even imagined the girl's face in his solat.

he was crying, and asking me, will God accept his solat?

he was afraid.

if you are in my position, what would you do?

of duty, and responsibility

2009-12-21T23:35:00.000-08:00

source

Salam alaykum

phasing out, and liberating myself off the mindset of a student to the career that i perform today isn't easy.

circling around me, are the usual scenes and shots of the dramas that I myself just acted in during the old days.

and in real life, one of the struggle is.....

to appreciate duty and responsibility.

.................................

"Okey, kita berhenti Subuh. Siapa nak sembahyang bangunlah, tak nak sembahyang tak payah bangun", said the bus driver coolly, on one of my occasional trips from home to work.

DUTY = NO RESPONSIBILITY?

...................................

DUTY and RESPONSIBILITY.

what do we actually understand from these words?

do we see any difference? or are we just seeing double?

"What is meant by duty? Duty refers to what is DUE to others. For example, parents have the duty to care for their children and teachers have the duty to bring out the best in their pupils.

source

have I done enough in fulfilling my duty?

am I fully aware of my responsibility?

have i function accordingly in running my duty?

do i realize the consequences of the way i run my duty, towards my responsibility?

have I tried my best, in fulfilling my duty?

am I aware, that giving my best is a responsibility for me?

Have you?

...................

Dear Irwan,

Growing up is mandatory.

My duty, IS my responsibility.

In depth comprehension of them IS without doubt, a priority.

What I chose to do today, the duty that I duly receive, entails a set of responsibility.

I can't possibly say I've fulfilled my duty, if I hold no responsibility for it.

For I truly believe,

"And whosoever does an atom's weight of good, he shall see it. And whosoever does an atom's weight of evil, he shall see it." [99: 7-8]

....................

"Ummati...Ummati"

Peace and blessings to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the man who sees duty and responsibility as one, more than anyone else, then, until the end.

'Allahumma, Ya Muqallibal Qulub,

Thabbit qulubuna ala deenik wa ala ta'atik

"O Allah, O turner of hearts!

Keep our hearts steadfast on Thy religion and obedience"

paradigm shift : every exit is an entry

2009-11-13T15:38:00.000-08:00

source

salam alaykum

"EVERY EXIT IS AN ENTRY"

i stumbled upon this line during my teenage years, at school, wondering what it actually meant, only taking for granted that it was the 'motto' (or is it not?) for the school bowling club...

back then, being quite a curious yet still naive teenager i was, the farthest interpretation that i could conjure out of my 'not so expanded mind' was to understand that the bowling ball will hit the pins, being exited from the lane, and enters a mysterious chamber that eventually, will roll it back to where it first came from.

and i thought it was cool.

in fact, i still do.

........................................

the transitions of life, from phase to phase, permits us the possibility of facing endless consequences that arise from even our simplest actions, decisions, or even a spark of thought, or perception...

in life, naturally we will face instances that require us to choose.... to make decisions.

again, almost naturally, our decisions will not only affect us, but also others who are in the same spectrum.

and this happens to everyone.

as almost similar with 'The Law of Attraction', the consequences of our decisions will affect everyone in the picture, and everything that are shared together...

time, commitment, feelings, memories...to name a few

.................................

sometimes, we are forced to an alley which we see as leading to an exit...

and we thought, this is THE END.

we thought, this is it...there's nothing left here for us.

we thought, in front us is a black, empty wall.

we thought, we must change in order to adapt.

what we commonly forget is that,

there is always two flip sides of the coin

a door will always open for two routes

a 'something' will always begin from a 'nothing'

and that every EXIT is always an ENTRY.

......................

Allah has indeed purchased of the believers their lives and their wealth (in return) for Paradise (for) they fight for the cause of Allah, and they slay and be slain. (Paradise as a reward) is the true pledge, which Allah has made in the Taurat, the Injil and the Qur'an. And who is more true to his promise than Allah? Rejoice then in the bargain you have made, and (know that) it is the supreme triumph

(At-Taubah:111)

Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) and His companions' hegira from Mecca to Medina is an excellent example by God, to make us understand this concept.

the companions never imagined that they will be back to Mecca...and yet they came back as victors to claim their rightful place

they came back with heads raised high, and with full of emotions

the slaves came back as equals to their masters

the poors came back as equals to their down lookers

and now Mecca is theirs...and look and remember how Allah blessed them with compassion, power and knowledge.

their EXIT is now an ENTRY.

...................................

this road,one we choose for da'wah and tarbiyah is long and difficult.

and yet, it promises rewards that no one could argue.

believe in this.

grit it with your teeth...and never let go.

for everywhere you go, you have been chosen to spread the words..the words of God, be it here, or anywhere.

may your words be the light to countless hearts

may your smiles be the rhyme of many

and may your actions be the code of the majority

every EXIT is an ENTRY.

"Call men to the path of your Lord (O Muhammad) with wisdom and good exhortation. Reason with them in ways that are best and most gracious. For your Lord best knows those who stray from His path and those who are rightly guided"

(An-Nahl:125)

of budget, the 'rakyat' and a reality check

2009-10-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

salam alaykum

and so, next year's budget is finally out and announced.

"budget rakyat", they said.

As one who is directly involved in the education sector, my focus was particularly directed on these clauses;

Rewards for students who excel in studies:

- 30 National Scholarships for the creme de la creme of students, strictly based on merit

- Conversion of PTPTN loans to scholarships for students who graduate with 1st class honours degree, beginning from 2010,

- Offer of netbook package, including free broadband service, to university students for RM50 per month for 2 years.

............................................

and that's it.

No news on MARA loans for Bumiputera students in private colleges.

i mean, needy students who each fajr, pray for the ni'mah of education to be blessed upon them for another day.

students who eat rice with fried anchovies or instant noodles almost everyday...not because of a change in taste and appetite, but just because they couldn't afford anything else

students who REALLY appreciate the holistic value of education.

students whose passion for learning, is fueled by a hunger for tarbiah.

students who have seen the worst.

students who deserve a second chance.

students who wants to BE CHANGED...and to CHANGE OTHERS.

....................................................

........................

........

and for that, the blue highlighted lines disgusted me.

yes, they disgusted me.

And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: Indeed if you are grateful, I will bestow more upon you, and if you deny My Favours, know that My punishment is terrible indeed!

(Surah Ibrahim:7)

the calling

2009-10-19T04:59:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykum

in this very short period of life, we often stumble upon instances that made us ponder, rethink and reminisce the episodes of life that we have passed behind...

at times, it made us reflect the actions, decisions, and paths that we chose....

those that made us walk along the stretch of road that we go through everyday, each playing its part in making us a more matured individual...a more knowledgeable person...a more humble servant

one would probably wonder, what actually is the 'drive' that made a person choose hardship over pleasure...

or poverty over wealth

or tiredness over a state of relax

what?

..........................................

....................

...........

...

have you ever heard of this?

O believers! Shall I point to you a bargain that will save you from a painful torment?

That is, you believe in Allah and His Messenger and you strive to defend and uphold the religion of Allah with your wealth and your persons. That would be best for you, if you but knew (the truth)!

(If you do so) He will forgive you your sins, and admit you into Gardens underneath which rivers flow. And He will lodge you in pleasant mansions in the Gardens of Eden. That is the supreme triumph.

And there are other blessings which you desire, that is, help from Allah and a speedy victory. And proclaim the good tidings to the believers.

(As-Saff : 10-12)

.................................

some people choose to bargain... and they bargain with God.

they look for the supreme triumph

they seek for the ultimate pleasure

they search for the never ending delight

and the bargain of course, come with a price...a sacrifice of wealth and worldly pleasure... at least, for a while

...............................

"On, Ajib dah beli kereta duhh!"

"Yeke..kereta apa?"

"Toyota Vios!"

(a true story...recorded during this Hari Raya)

.................................

to Mr. KPM, i believe i'd have to say i'm sorry.

i'm here to bargain with Allah, not you.

"ya muqallibal qulub, thabbit qulubana 'ala diinik.....wa 'ala tho'atik"

(wahai Tuhan yang membolak-balikkan hati, tetapkan hati kami atas jalan agamamu..dan dengan ketaatan kepadaMu)

of niqab, bikini and unjustified thought

2009-10-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

Salam alaykum

Some readings to trigger some thoughts;

article 1

article 2

* To my UDB1312 students, kindly read through both articles carefully. Should there be anything unclear, please don't hesitate to ask. I might pose some questions in class later ^_^

a first for everything

2009-09-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

salam alaykum

there is always a first for everything.

first time wearing a school uniform.

first time licking an ice-cream.

first time calling the azaan (with a full body shiver)

first time being away from home.

and now,

first Ramadhan (and the upcoming Syawal) as a lecturer....

a KTD lecturer.

.................................

it's a whole new perspective.

it's as if you are being sucked into a new dimension, a new realm of thinking....

a new system.

looking at my students, my brothers, undergoing Ramadhan somehow recalls the memories of me myself performing saum during my student days...

only the memories of myself, i presume, were not at par at all with what they are having now.

how lucky you are, my students, my brothers,

to be reminded almost every day, of the barakah of Ramadhan, and to have the drive to prostrate and face Allah at every time you could.

how lucky you are, my students, my brothers,

to be in a place where everyone is rushing...
rushing to grab God's promises, promises of the unthinkable merits one would attain in this holy month.

how lucky you are, my students, my brothers,

to be surrounded by people who would say "Akhi (brother), you are fasting" when you are mad, or when you are doing things that would reduce your merits, or mar the holiness of this month.

how lucky you are, my students, my brothers,

to be echoed by voices reciting al-Qur'an almost everywhere you go, reminding yourself that you should also grab one, and join the melodious tune.

.......................................

..........................

............

how lucky you are.

...........................

to all my beloved students, and brothers,

May the barakah of Ramadhan is showered on you (and me), and the coming Syawal becomes a blessed and joyful celebration for us.

a celebration for those who are in search of God's mardhatillah and knowledge.........sincerely.

EID MUBARAK....MAAF ZAHIR DAN BATIN =)

full blast rojak

2009-09-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

salam alaykum

probably this is why working people always whine when chatting with those younger than them.. precisely college students i'd say

i used to always ponder why do all these pakcik2 and brader2 keep reminiscing their olden days, days when a diploma or a degree was only their commitment

..................

.......

..

but now i understand.

working life demands and sucks your commitment in many ways..
sometimes on aspects that you never have imagined ever before.

it taps and licks your time as if it is a dripping, melting lollipop....not wanting to see even a drop of that sweet, precious, elixir of life wasted, left astray...

nevertheless,

when RESPONSIBILITY calls,
all of the worries, personal naggings and whinings change into dust,
showing utmost obedience on the more superior call,
one which deserves the fullest attention and care...

responsibility

(remember Irwan, you will be held accountable for everything in the face of Allah)

......................

Ramadhan kareem! =)

.......................

convocation

the fruit is now reaped

four years of mowing and harvesting sweat and blood...

alhamdulillah!

**************

and there goes, my full blast rojak entry.
voila!

SANTAI SOLEH - KTD

2009-08-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

O Allah
help us in helping others
help us in helping ourselves
for your help is our only hope
for your love is our only goal

O Allah
help us in helping others
help us in helping ourselves

amen

.............

......

..

satu hari plus dan minus

2009-07-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

salam alaykum

seumur hidup aku yang singkat ini,
tak pernah lagi aku berada di satu tempat
yang dengan siapa pun aku bercakap dan mendengar,
semuanya bernuansa tarbiah dan nasihah

semuanya beraura positif, bak kata orang.

kalau pun bergaduh, selisih faham, semuanya bermatlamatkan yang itu juga...

**********

Pakcik Nuar driver KTD, sambil duduk di bawah pokok rendang menunggu kami selesai solat pernah meluahkan rasanya pada kami..

katanya, seseorang itu semakin menginjak usia tua, harus lebih banyak berfikir..

ia harus berfikir, yang setiap hari dalam hidup yang bertambah, bermakna bertambah satu lagi hari usia dunia ini

ringkasnya, semakin kita tua, dunia juga semakin tua

kadangkala,manusia lupa untuk berfikir yang dunia juga akan mati..

dunia juga ada penghujungnya...bukan manusia saja

pesannya lagi, pada masa Isra' Mi'raj,
baginda nabi dari langit melihat dunia ini sudah seolah-olah seseorang wanita tua yang sudah bongkok tiga tubuhnya...

dan itu, 1400 tahun dahulu.

***********

sahabat, moga usia kita yang semakin bertambah hari demi hari,

mengingatkan kita yang kita semakin dekat untuk pergi

mengingatkan kita yang dunia semakin hampir untuk kembali

mengingatkan kita untuk menautkan ukhuwah dengan lebih erat lagi

untuk meningkatkan amal soleh

untuk membuang daki dunia

untuk mengikis karat jahiliah

untuk terus mentarbiah dan ditarbiah

untuk tetap di jalan da'wah..

sahabatku,

moga hidupmu di dunia, menjadi bayangan hidupmu di syurga

insyaAllah...

khusus untukmu, PEMUDA MERSEY =)

* dan pemuda mersey, err..bila kau nak kawin?

of fashion, and origins [part 2]

2009-06-24T23:36:00.000-07:00

phew...it's been a while,
a very long 'while' to be exact,
but i'll continue updating...

........................

................

.........

....

i will!

*************

before going back to our original discourse,
on the attempt to answering the questions clouding the issue of men, their origins, and some mysterious acts concerning overt display of their physique,
let us first pause and try to look around us, while searching for a common trend that can be observed..

try the tv,
the radio,
magazines,
on the streets,
in the commercials..

tell me, what do you see

.......

...

personally, what i saw is a worldwide accepted value

a value that says,

"beauty is not in the eyes of the beholder........ it's in other people's eyes"

and

"i don't set my own standards, people do"

"do i know who these people are? heck, do i need to?"

*****************

source

Adam and Eve's acts of covering their bodies (when displayed) with the leaves of Heaven actually brought to us a visual imagery of our fitrah as human, our adab with our own physical body and some hidden moral implication that could be salvaged, based on the current condition that we are living in.

Children of Adam! We have indeed sent down to you clothing (materials) with which you cover your shame, and as a thing of beauty, but the best of all these is the garment of Godconsciousness. Such are among the Signs of Allah (out of His Bounty and Mercy to His servants), so that they will take heed (and be grateful). (7:26)

FITRAH AS HUMAN

what do we understand as fitrah?
most usually, people would associate it with things that are entitled or enjoined to the basic, common custom of life,
those that are untouched or disturbed by our hands or the acts of nature etc.
those that would be acted or blurted first from our mouths when we are unaware...
such as our common consensus that;

to live, one needs food and water
or
to multiply, one needs to mate
or
to breathe, one needs air
and such others

all that we agree upon above are indeed true. it is exactly our fitrah to feel the urges of humanhood, namely the need to eat, breathe and reproduce, using the channels and avenues permitted by our Creator.

from where exactly do we come to this agreement?
i believe some would say it's a natural law of life, some would say it's written in the holy scriptures, while some (like me) would admit that it comes from a deep observation of human life, straight to our forefathers, leading to our common ancestors, Adam and Eve.

The seerah of Adam and Eve brings upon a deep realization for us their children on fitrah of human.

the loneliness that Adam felt in heaven proves the urge a man has for women...
the approval of Eve for Adam as her mate proves the bond between men and women as a continuation of life...
their act of approaching and eating the fruit from the forbidden tree although not allowed to, proves the existence of desire in every human's hearts...
and most importantly,
the sudden autonomous act of covering their bodies (when exposed) with the leaves from heaven shows that men and women is endowed with a feeling of pride and at the same time, shame

pride - as their bodies are a trophy, a blessing from Allah for them to keep and guard

shame - as they fail to protect their trophy, it is exposed for others (the heaven and its contents) to witness.
the shame here is for failing to obey God's orders, not for fear of criticisms on their physique or beauty

clearly here, it is a fitrah for human to take pride of their body, to sustain its well being, to maintain its beauty.
as what we commonly hear;

"Saya rasa lebih yakin dengan penampilan diri saya sekarang"

or

"dengan tubuh yang langsing begini, kini saya tidak malu lagi untuk bertemu masyarakat"

sadly, what has been missing here is the feeling of shame.
people take pride of the appearance, physique and body,
but forgot that their trophy is for them to keep and safeguard, even from the tiniest dust or the slightest unlawful glance

the pride has overtaken the shame for failing to obey the order of God
the pride has overtaken the shame for subjecting our self on other's (and not God's) judgments
the pride has overtaken the shame for letting people to criticize and tell us what to do with our looks and fashion, when we know God has designed for us a much better one

and what can we conclude from this?

i say, it's our own disapproval of fitrah.

a disapproval of the divine fixture, created by God.

source

********************

of fashion, and origins [part 1]

2009-05-04T05:45:00.000-07:00

salam alaykum =)

it's funny when at times our minds were struck by flashes of thoughts,
triggering attention on small yet significant details
that so often driving the conscious mind into its 'inquisitive mode'
instantly, pushing and pulling the neurons together
stretching the nerves
all in one direction, serving one purpose

THINKING

and it comes without warning
even without us wanting...or waiting for them to come, frankly

then again,
who knows what goodness they might bring
for making us stay conscious is what they do best, aite?

staying conscious

********************

one day, while walking towards my bike with a friend,
i suddenly thought of inquiring about a certain 'event' in the seerah,
one which involved our 'parents of origin', Adam a.s and Eve
only this time in a more critical mode...

i suddenly became interested in knowing why Adam and Eve,
once incurring the wrath of Allah for consuming the fruits of the forbidden tree,
were stripped naked of their clothes and coverings, as stated in The Holy Quran;

"Thus he (Satan) cunningly led them on with deluding thoughts (into doing what was forbidden). And as soon as the two of them had tasted (the fruit) of the tree, they became conscious of their nakedness, and they both covered themselves with the leaves (of) the Garden. And their Lord called out to them: Did I not forbid you two from approaching that tree, and did I not warn you that Satan is your open enemy??"

(Al-A'raf:22)

some points to ponder here are;

why take their garments away?
why reveal their bodies?
why display their skins?
why make them naked?
why not God the Creator did something else on them?
(it's not like I'm questioning God, but for the sake of critical thinking as an effort to strengthen our theological belief, let's keep our options open)

and,

upon seeing each others' bodies were overtly displayed, why the sudden autonomous act of covering it with the leaves from heaven?
(note: Adam and Eve covered themselves with leaves after their garments were 'taken')

why say, didn't they just act casual...like it's not a big deal,
or
instead of covering themselves up, why didn't they just turn their backs or close their eyes, for instance?

why?

.......

....

..

**************************

[SOCIOLINGUISTICS]

it is no secret that the Malays are infamously known as great storytellers...
even without the influences of Hinduism and Buddhism, the Malay archipelago is rich with its hikayats and legends, told from generation to generation,
descending one upon another,
bringing its unique folklore, heavy with teachings of morale and the 'accepted' norms and social conducts...in syairs, gurindams, pantuns and what not...

"Pasang kubu berlapis-lapis
Kubu berlapis kuat diserang
Pantang Melayu berbaju tipis
Berbaju tipis adatnya hilang"

"Memasang rantai berjela-jela
Tanda ikatnya tiada kukuh
Orang memakai mengada-ngada
Tanda sifatnya tidak senonoh"

*pantuns are taken from FT's Manikam Kalbu

***** *****

living in Johore, i find it hard not to notice that us Johorians refer to our male 'traditional' attire as 'Baju Kurung', in contrast with people of other states who prefer the term 'Baju Melayu'...

is this baju kurung?

or this?

this is quite a challenging feat since when a male Johorian starts mingling with others and forgot to alter his speech, he might get embarassed for the fact that in other Malaysian states, Baju Kurung is only worn by the female, while Baju Melayu is for the male..
(as if the males are not Melayu enough..duhh.huhu)

the fact that Johorians (especially in the kampongs) hold steadfastly to the term Baju Kurung and refused to succumb to the general trend often intrigued me in some ways...
and it got me to be further inquisitive as well, right until i read this novel, Manikam Kalbu by a Malaysian prolific writer; FT.

turns out the term 'Kurung' has its own significance as FT through a character in the novel described;

"Adapun pacal namakan baju kurung kerana pertama busana ini dikurung oleh syarak.

Pakaian Melayu itu haruslah dikurung oleh syariat...

Adapun kurung itu juga bermakna dikurung adat.

Manusia Melayu itu apabila mengenakan baju kurung, segera dia tahu membawa diri, menyesuaikan dengan tempat....dan wajib pula tahu apa makna dan tujuan mengenakannya

Pacal mengimpikan sejenis busana yang apabila dikenakan di badan si pemakainya terkurung dan terhindar sifat angkuh dan sombong...

dan apabila sudah berbaju kurung terpeliharalah iman supaya tidak terpesong"

*to be continued, inshaAllah

si kecil yang signifikan

2009-04-19T04:54:00.000-07:00

salam alaykum

aku selalu terlongo
terpegun, terkesima penuh kekaguman
pada insan2 yang mampu melihat pada sekecil-kecil perkara
dan menjadikannya satu amal
yang menyentuh banyak jiwa

dalam "consumer-based world" yang kita menumpang nafas ini,
hidup akan selalu berkisar pada paksi keperluan yang sama,
cuma berbeza intensiti dan kapasiti

manusia berebut-rebut mengisi senarai keperluan dan kehendak
sampai satu ketika,
tak terlihat yang di sebelah mengaduh..yang di belakang mendengus

sama juga dalam konteks hubungan dengan Tuhan
kita cenderung melihat yang besar-besar
kian bosan melihat yang kecil

................................

di surau kolej aku ini,
ada seorang (atau mungkin segolongan) manusia yang amat komited pada amal2 yang kecil.
ya, memang kecil... tapi bermakna.

insan2 anonymous ini selalu menyedarkan aku yang amal2 kecil,
tetapi ikhlas dan bermanfaat pasti akan menyentuh jiwa
pasti akan mengundang senyum
pasti akan menghambat mendung

amal mereka mudah
dan sesuai dengan gelar 'anonymous', ia dilakukan senyap2, tanpa ada yang mengetahui

amal mereka - menyusun selipar jemaah

source

apa yang unik?

selipar jemaah disusun rapi dalam posisi sedia disarung
dipusing siap 180 darjah
tak perlu dibetulkan letak duduknya lagi
usai turun dari tangga, kaki dilangkah terus menyarung selipar
langkah laju boleh terus disusun
tanpa pause..tanpa henti

perasaannya?

ibarat bangun pagi pada hari minggu dengan mood yang baik
solat dengan penuh khusyu'
zikir dengan penuh tawadhu'
dan kopi panas dicicip penuh perasaan...
setiap yang dilakukan, lancar dan sempurna
kerana titik mulanya penuh bermakna
nikmat!

jujurnya, aku rasa tiap langkah aku ringan dan penuh 'feel'
kerana langkah mulanya tanpa ada masalah
berkat tangan2 ikhlas yang mengejar redha Tuhan dari amal2 kecil

.............................

..................

.......

amal2 ringkas..tapi signifikan*

terima kasih si penyusun selipar... you colour my day! =)

*(frasa diilhamkan oleh Prof. Dr. Kamil)

syukur 23

2009-04-14T22:38:00.000-07:00

source

alhamdulillah...
tiada lain yang mampu diucap..
tiada lain yang mahu diungkap...

alhamdulillah...

ia hampir berakhir...
thesis ditulis hampir selesai
thesis presentation selesai diungkai
bonus : "a very good research"

alhamdulillah...
tiada lain yang mampu diucap..
tiada lain yang mahu diungkap...

alhamdulillah...

.................................

"every exit is an entry"

jalan berliku ini hampir sampai ke penghujungnya
seolah kenderaan yang tiba di plaza tol
tertanya-tanya apa yang menanti di sebalik palang yang menghadang
di sebalik senyum manis dan sapa mesra yang menekan butang

jalan mesti terus

memetik kata Muadz bin Jabal, sahabat Rasulullah yang dihulur kepercayaan untuk ke Yaman menyebar kata2 da'wah;

"Belajarlah ilmu
kerana mempelajari ilmu kerana Allah adalah ibadah..
kajiannya adalah tasbih
penyelidikannya adalah jihad
dan
pengajarannya terhadap yang berhak,
adalah taqarrub* kepadaNya"

ilmu,
untuk peringkat ini, kau sudah aku tuntut

Ya Allah,
izinkan aku menyebarkannya!

taqarrub = menghampirkan diri
BM equivalent = akrab

time travel

2009-03-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

salam alaykum =)

i was reading this when the memories hit me

memories of being a kid

a naive infant

an innocent offspring

a truthful speaker

an obedient listener

a trusted person

a pure soul

sparkling innocent eyes

simple, unobstructed thoughts

straight

clear

clean

..................

.........

....

..............................

time

it comes without telling

it leaves without warning

22+ years

changing times

changing perspectives

changing wants

diverted attentions

diverted needs

forgotten values

forgotten norms

wrong choices

difficult decisions

permitted mistakes

social circle

families

friends

life-partners

.................................

source

kenape awak kena pegi sekolah setiap hari?
sebab nak belajar
knape nak belajar?
sebab nak pandai
nape nak pandai?
nanti umi ayah sayang
nape nak umi ayah sayang?
nanti Allah sayang
.....nape?
boleh masuk syurga

(quoted, edited from aishah)

...........................

a simple answer

a truthful response

a direct hit

no hidden agendas

no selfish needs

no stereotypes

unbiased

without doubt

let's be a child.

ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ
And (remember) I created the Jinn and mankind that they might worship and pay their devotions to Me
(Az-Dzariyat:56)

ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ

And (every) living creature shall not die unless with the permission of Allah, that is, the term of every life that is fixed (as determined by Allah). And (therefore) he who desires the reward of this world, We shall give him of it; and he who desires the reward of the life to come (Akhirat), We shall give him of it. And We will reward the grateful
(Ali 'Imran: 145)

ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ
And the life of this world is nothing but play and passing delight; and the life of the Hereafter is by far better for all those who are conscious of God. Will you not understand?
(Al-An'aam:32)

check and balance

2009-03-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

salam alaykum =)

reality check.

it has been more than a month...and it's eye opening.

living in a world where my principles blinks glaringly as the odd one out in some ways do make me feel anxious of my life at times...

yup, most of the times in fact.

a good friend blurted his observation on me while we were watchin TV...

"aku rasa hidup kau penuh penyesalan la"

i accepted it with a loud, yet still controlled laughter, for what he said IS true..and it sounds funny

perhaps it's the way i see things

or perhaps it's the way THEY see things

perhaps it's the way my cognition processes it

perhaps it's because of the values that i choose

perhaps it's how i set my norms

perhaps it's how i define responsibility

perhaps it's how they understand liability

......

....

..

can there still be congruous points on our path?

can we still see light at the end of the tunnel?

............................

regrets

full of them

when these eyes are opened

when these ears are peeled

when this mouth resonates its tunes

when this mind squeezes its juices

it's me

for not telling

for not encouraging

for not persuading

for not inviting

for not even trying

.....................................

it has been a month

surely, the will to write is a "ni'mah"

for those who are blessed with it, would capture the boggling mind that ponders upon the letters, searching for meaning, and getting the answer

it has been a month

surely, in this 'ghuraba' era, to write is not simply a pleasure, but a limited talent for those deemed worthy by the rightful Owner

could it be, that the string of letters flowing in my mind at those times would be of those that is unworthy to be realized in the tangible dimension, thus unpermitting its arrival?

for i know too well, that time is of the essence of all.

and i for sure, don't want to be one of those whose causing its erosion of value.

i don't want to rob anyone's time.

i don't want me, or you, to be at loss.

for He had sworn,

By time! Verily the human being is at loss. Except for those who have faith and do righteous deeds and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to patience" (Al-'Asr)

....................

please affendik,

life is short

use your time...sorry, your LOANED time wisely...

amen.

HIMEGA '09

2009-03-04T07:10:00.000-08:00

Socio-Visio-Cerebral Exercise

2009-02-05T15:11:00.000-08:00

Salam Alaykum

In the field of Social Psychology, there is a term called 'social cognition', which is

"the manner in we interpret, analyze and remember aspects of our social world"

According to social psychologists, in everyday life, when socializing, meeting and mixing with others, people form mental frameworks of their surroundings (mostly of other people) that will eventually affect their beliefs, perceptions and judgments.

it starts with a recall of background knowledge (on the specific area) stored in our internal memory reservoir or schema, pinpointing of schema with the newly accumulated data, and then proceeds to a stage called prototyping, where the qualities of the new data are being compared to the pre-existing framework.

and all this, happen in a blink of an eye.

Subhanallah

.....................................

Mental perception.

Belief.

Judgment.

of what are yours based on?

.................................

In everyday life, we are subjected to be making choices and decisions in every single thing, each single act that we do.

this come from the most basic instances (that we sometimes don't even realize) such as deciding on whether to wake up from bed or not, to choose which shirt and pants to wear (and their colour), to have breakfast or brunch, to use a blue pen or a black pen, to have what lauk for our plate of rice, to choose the right words to say to the right person, and the list goes on and on and on...

until it reaches the more complex, crucial and 'more at stake' decisions such as to choose the location for work placement (isi borang posting!), to find the right person as your life partner (zauj/zaujah) and so on...

decisions...decisions...decisions...

on what foundations do you decide?

USAHA (effort)- DOA (pray)- TAWAKAL(absolute succumbing)

these are the three dimensions of a Muslim's simple guide and principle of making a decision, of which is also being used when deriving a connotation of urge or encouragement.
commonly seen/heard as said to those who are striving for something, namely studying for exams, attending an interview or while facing difficult times in life, not many of us are aware that this principle should also be in use when making our own life decisions.

some people consult their schema.
some follow the social norms
some subject to their gut-feeling
some have their own principle
some just don't care
how about you?

*************************************

(will be continued)

Minta maaf Alam...

2009-02-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

In the name of Allah, the Most Kind, the most merciful. All praise is for Allah, and peace and blessings upon his Prophet Muhammad (saw) and all of his followers.

Alam ini indah, ciptaan Allah sememangnya indah... Hati yang tulus ikhlas akan jatuh cinta dengan keindahannya, dan hati yang kagum akan tunduk menyintai Penciptanya.

sumber gambar

Allah berfirman di dalam Al-Quran yang bermaksud, “bukan siapakah yang telah mencipta langit dan bumi dan menurunkan hujan dari langit untuk kamu, lalu Kami tumbuhkan dengan air hujan itu dengan tanaman, kebun-kebun yang menghijau subur dengan indahnya, kamu tidak dapat dan tidak berkuasa menumbuhkannya, menumbuhkan pohon-pohon tersebut. Adakah sebarang Tuhan lain bersama dengan Allah S.W.T?”

Aku ingin membawa diri ini untuk lebih memahami apakah tuntutan di sebalik keindahan yang terhampar luas ini. Aku mengerti akan tujuannya, dengan adanya alam ini maka ia menjadi bukti kebesaranNya. Kerana adanya alam ini juga menjadi pencetus keimanan bagi yang benar-benar menginsafi penciptaannya.

Namun aku seringkali lupa, bahawa bibir ini hanya mampu menceritakan akan keindahanNya, hanya mampu memuji akan kehebatan Tuhan yang menciptakannya tetapi aku gagal untuk benar-benar merealisasikan bicara tersebut. Ia sekadar luahan rasa tetapi tidak sampai kepada sendi-sendi yang melaksanakan tugas yang sepatutnya.

Aku ini ibarat pengembara di jalanan, menumpang di sebuah hentian. Adakah layak untuk aku melakukan tempat tumpangan itu semahu mungkin? Layakkah aku untuk menjadikannya tempat untuk terus menetap? Tidak malukah aku pada empunya tempat persinggahan tersebut?

Firman Allah bermaksud: “Dan carilah pada apa yang telah dianugerahkan Allah kepadamu (kebahagiaan) negeri akhirat, dan janganlah kamu melupakan bahagianmu daripada (kenikmatan) duniawi dan berbuat baiklah (kepada orang lain) seperti Allah telah berbuat baik, kepadamu, dan janganlah kamu berbuat kerosakan di (muka) bumi. Sesungguhnya Allah tidak menyukai orang yang berbuat kerosakan." (Surah al-Qasas, ayat 77)

Benar sekali, empunya tempat persinggahan memberikan kebenaran untuk menikmati kemudahan yang tersedia, maka apakah tanggungjawabku?

Mungkin aku baru tersedar dari kelalaian yang panjang. Perjalanan yang jauh seolah-olah diabaikan. Perhentian buat mengumpul bekalan mula tidak menunjukkan ketekunan, mula leka dengan kesenangan malah mengambil apa yang tidak sepatutnya.

Kini persinggahan yang begitu selesa dan selamat itu hampir punah, sedangkan pengembara yang berhenti untuk mengumpul bekalan semakin ramai. Ramai juga yang sikapnya seperti aku, memuji namun tidak menghormati. Hasilnya ramai juga yang menjadi amaran dan pengajaran daripada Empunya tempat ini. Aku dan kau kesedihan kerana yang mejadi amaran dan pengajaran itu adalah mereka yang kita sayangi.

sumber gambar

Baru kini aku tersedar, kalaulah aku benar-benar faham akan tanggungjawabku maka tempat ini akan kekal indah.
Kalaulah aku bercucuk tanam...
kalaulah aku membeli barang buatan tempatan...
kalaulah aku menjimatkan penggunaan air...
kalaulah aku menjimatkan penggunaan tenaga(elektrik, gas, dll)
kalaulah aku menguruskan sampah yang dihasilkan dengan baik...
kalaulah aku... bukan sekadar bermimpi
kalaulah aku bukan sekadar menaip disini...

banyak sangat dah 'kalau' tu! bila lagi sendi-sendi nak berfungsi... penat je serebrum berinteraksi, tak sampai-sampai juga isyarat ke sendi-sendi tu?

Minta maaf Alam, aku sememangnya sering lupa, wahai Pencipta Alam berilah peluang untukku memperbaiki kerosakan ini dengan sepenuh kekuatanku.

Allahu Akbar !

rujukan : Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences

Ideologi sebuah Masjid

2009-01-31T05:40:00.000-08:00

Bismillah...

Minggu ini nampaknya ada kelapangan untuk menaip sedikit di sendi2ku.blogspot.com ini sebagai salah satu aktiviti menggerak-gerakkan sendi.

Di sini aku ingin mengutarakan beberapa persoalan berkaitan dengan 'Senibina Masjid', setelah saudara Irwan berkongsi sebuah artikel yang bertajuk 'A Tale of Three Mosques'. Artikel ini ditulis oleh seorang yang sememangnya tersohor dalam bidang senibina, khususnya dalam memberikan kritikan. Juga merupakan pensyarah aku semasa di UTM Skudai suatu ketika dahulu. Jadi jika nak diukur dari sudut ilmu dan pengalaman sudah pasti aku jauh dibelakang.

Aku tidak akan mengulas tentang artikel tersebut secara terus, memandangkan ianya satu kritikan yang agak jauh daripada dasar atau asas berkaitan senibina Masjid. Apa yang ingin aku utarakan ialah asas kepada kritikan tersebut, iaitu perkaitan antara senibina dan ideologi. Ini kerana tanpa memahami asas kepada kritikan tersebut, sesiapa pun tidak akan dapat menilai suatu kritikan senibina dari sudut yang menyeluruh.

Jadi persoalan pertama yang harus aku ketengahkan ialah apakah ideologi yang cuba diterapkan oleh sebuah binaan yang disebut sebagai 'Masjid'? Adakah ia simbol kepada sesuatu ideologi, sebagai contoh, adakah ia simbol kepada Nasionalisma? adakah ia simbol kepada Sosialisma atau mungkin Demokrasi? Maka disinilah satu kefahaman yang jelas harus kita bentuk dalam konteks menilai sesebuah Masjid. Persoalan ini aku tinggalkan untuk difikirkan bersama kerana jawapannya terletak pada jiwa-jiwa yang mempunyai tasawwur yang jelas tentang Ibadah itu sendiri.

Sayyidina Uthman ibnu Affan berkata, bahawasanya aku mendengar Rasulullah SAW bersabda, "Barangsiapa yang membina masjid semata-mata kerana Allah, Allah akan mendirikan untuknya seperti yang didirikan olehnya di Syurga" (Hadith Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim, dipetik dari Shaikh Ali Mohammad Mokhtar, 1997: 33).

Persoalan yang kedua ialah, adakah Masjid ini perlu menjadi simbol kepada sesuatu bangsa? Arab? Parsi atau Rumawi? Untuk menjawab persoalan ini juga tidak sukar apabila kita memahami ciri-ciri yang terdapat dalam Islam itu sendiri, Islam itu untuk manusia sejagat?

Orang yang layak menghidupkan masjid hanyalah orang yang beriman, orang yang mendirikan sembahyang, orang yang menunaikan zakat dan orang yang hanya takut kepada Allah SWT. Mereka adalah orang-orang yang mendapat petunjuk (At Taubah 9: 18).

Jika kita mampu menjawab kedua-dua persoalan asas diatas, maka kita pasti akan dapat merungkai lebih jauh lagi ke dalam perbincangan atau kritikan senibina Masjid secara keseluruhannya.

bersambung...

Go English?

2009-01-30T02:02:00.000-08:00

Assalamualaykum…and may you forever be in the blessings of Allah, for He is the Most Merciful, Most Benevolent..

It has been long since I last posted an English entry in here. Partly because of my own insensitivity of holding on to a promise to myself that is to contribute to this blog by writing entries in English, while waiting for Pemuda Mersey with his ever insightful, mind opening touch of an architect cum modern farmer cum entrepreneur entries (boy, do I love babbling about you in cyber space, bro..haha!)..and not to forget, brother ‘Abbas, who is still waiting for the best ideas and materials to share here, insya Allah.

O Allah, please forgive me.

As a responsible member of the ummah (and I hope you all are, too..insya Allah), it is a shared obligation on our shoulders to work together as a unit in spreading the word of haq (truth), and to symbiotically exhort each other in practicing ma’ruf and avoiding munkar in our lives.

Spreading the word of da’wah is surely, not an individual work. It demands for supporting hands to hold on, and not to mention, warm, comforting shoulders to cry on to.

Reminiscing the Prophet’s strategic plan upon his Hijrah 1429 years ago from Mecca to Medina, we are reminded of the crucial need of building a solid bond amongst us, a bond which is built from the strongest material; that is a unified, unshaken belief of aqidah. In the midst of some party’s call towards developing efficient human capitals with various slogans (ulul-albab generation, umat madani, etc.), and not to mention of those who even listed it as a component in their Islamic rebranding agenda, it is forever worthy for us to look back, and ponder on the Prophet’s master plan of uniting the Muhajirin and Ansar as brothers and sisters, whom trust and belief on each other transcends their race, nationality nor status.

Truly the believers are brothers. Make peace among your brothers (who are fighting); and remain conscious of Allah, so that you may be shown mercy.
(al-Hujurat:10)

credits

What was the Prohet’s actual agenda behind this very unpopular move?

Was it economy? So that the Jews of Medina would be taught a lesson of their inhumane, money hungry classic capitalism?

Was it for the pride of the Arabs? As in ketuanan Melayu, so that the most rightful ‘owner’ of the land would be able to reclaim their stolen pride and power?

Was it for control of resources? So that the Muslims would be able to take over the watering wells in Medina and benefit by using them for their own use, thus getting their ‘revenge’ on the Jews whose been controlling their water sources for years? Sounds like America rampaging Iraq for the oil rigs to me…

……………………………………………..

My brothers and sisters,

It was for DA’WAH…for da’wah is an everyone’s job. A job for those who realize their very reason for being here, at the first place.

And (remember) I created the jinn and mankind that they might worship and pay their devotions to Me.
(az-Dzariyat:56)

And da’wah works better if conducted in a perfectly planned, strategized and synchronized movement.
As stated in the Qur’an in 61:4,

Truly, Allah loves those who fight for His cause in ranks as if they were a solid cemented edifice.
(as-Saff:4)

But why da’wah?

Why all the hassles for such a tiring, ‘unrewarding’ work?

Nuh a.s 'enslaved' himself to this duty for 900+ years, but only a handful followed, while his wife and children lost in the big flood..
Isa a.s spread the words of Allah as a prophet and human, but his people chose to worship him instead..
Musa a.s (with The Almighty's help) lead the Israelites through the ocean free from the Pharaoh's tyranny, but his people chose to follow Samiri, his golden cow, and his stupidity...
Lut a.s. preached for modesty and pefection of akhlak, but his people prefers to be 'sexually distorted' ....

The Messengers (that We sent all of them) brought good news (to the believers) and gave warning (to the disbelievers and sinners), so that mankind might have no excuse (or other arguments) before Allah (on the Day of Judgment) after (the coming) of these Messengers. And (remember that) Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
(an-Nisa:165)

And why should we do it together?
Isn’t it enough for the imams and ustadhs with their preaches at the mosques and musallas, in forums and public agendas?

O believers! Shall I point to you a bargain that will save you from a painful torment? That is, you believe in Allah and His Messenger and you strive to defend and uphold the religion of Allah with your wealth and your persons. That would be best for you, if you but knew (the truth)! (If you do so) He will forgive you your sins, and admit you into Gardens underneath which rivers flow. And He will lodge you in pleasant mansions in the Gardens of Eden. That is the supreme triumph. And there are other blessings which you desire, that is, help from Allah and a speedy victory. And proclaim the good tidings to the believers.
(as-Saff:10-13)

This is the bargain that we should be searching for.

This is it.

And who says it’s not rewarding?

************************

jom makan rojak

2009-01-26T21:16:00.000-08:00

alhamdulillah... ucapan terima kasih khusus buat Yang Maha Agung.

banyak yang nak ditulis sebenarnya, tapi mungkin Allah tidak mengizinkan masa yang ada untuk menulis.
tulisan kali ini bukan pasal rojak atau bukan pasal cara nak makan rojak dan tidak ada kaitan pun dengan makanan yang dinamakan rojak.

cuma mungkin tulisan kali ini agak rojak kandungannya... maklumlah bila dah lama tak menulis, apa yang terbuku di fikiran tu melimpah-limpah ada yang sempat ditadah dan ada juga yang terus melimpah entah ke mana.

Kandungan Pertama:

Aku dah lama tak belanja sesiapa makan, maksudnya aku dah lama la tak buat apa yang dikatakan dakwah fardi...

Aku dah lama tak ajak sesiapa keluar makan-makan kat mamak, layan roti canai dengan teh tarik, maksudnya aku dah lama tak berbicara tentang erti kehidupan menurut pandangan Islam kepada seseorang.

Aku dah lama tak main bola di pagi-pagi hujung minggu atau bermain bola di petang hari, maksudnya aku dah lama tak menyampaikan cara hidup Islam itu pada kawan-kawan yang berbeza akhlak mereka.

Aku dah terlalu lama duduk di dalam dunia amal berseorangan seolah-olah seorang abid yang buta, padahal mata aku celik dan aku melihat dunia sekitarku dengan jelas dan nyata.

Aku dah tak tahan duduk sebegini terlalu lama, kalau tidak sia-sia kefahaman yang ada ini, kerana kefahaman ini bukan untuk aku sorang rasa, aku taknak merasai nikmat ibadah itu sorang-sorang... kerana itu bukan akhlak seorang hamba Allah yang mengucapkan Alhamdulillah.

Kandungan ke-2

Siapa yang faham apa itu UBIQUITY , aku faham perkataan ini 6 tahun yang lalu, ketika itu perkataan ini diaplikasikan ke dalam ilmu yang amat aku alimi iaitu senibina.

Namun, setelah itu aku mula memahami perkataan ini dalam melihat dunia ini secara keseluruhannya. Aku mula menggunakannya sebagai satu konsep dalam kehidupan kerana maksudnya yang begitu lunak dalam fikiranku.

Minggu ini, minggu lepas, 2 minggu lepas... kalau kita buka laman web-laman web Islam melayu(konteks Malaysia) seolah-olah semuanya dalam kedudukan yang sama, media massa mengeluarkan suara yang sama, cuma tindakan itu sahaja yang diharapkan betul-betul sama...insyaAllah.

Kesatuan pemikiran, kesatuan tindakan... betul tak Irwan?.. heee(sengih lebar)
Semoga apa yang berlaku menyatukan umat yang terbaik ini. Umat yang dijanjikan kemenangan.

Kandungan ke-3

Akhir sekali, amat bersetuju dengan entri sedara Irwan sebelum ini... semoga kefahaman ini disertai dengan amal, kerana jika tidak...bermakna kita masih lemah TAUHID.

Untuk menutup entri kali ini... ada satu kata-kata yang menjadi buah mulut para senior kaki ragging ketika di SekMenTekJB dulu... "satu kali cakap, sepuluh kali faham", ape maksudnye? ahh...lu pikirlaa sendiri!

ps: terima kasih Irwan sbb beri kesedaran

lu pikirlah sendiri!!!! [v2]

2009-01-20T07:16:00.000-08:00

Assalamualaykum...

lama tak menulis...err menaip.
idea berpusar-pusar di jirim kelabu, dan masa pun taklah meninggalkan aku terburu-buru..cuma, rasa nak menulis yang tak kunjung muncul...hmmm.

apapun,
yang sebenarnya mau aku nyatakan di sini bukanlah apa sebenarnya, cuma cuba menaikkan syu'ur betapa Muslim juga kian mendaki tangga penguasaan ilmu Sains, dan memanfaatkannya untuk urusan da'wah Islami...buktinya, hujah2 yang telah aku berikan dalam entri terdahulu...

apakah ini bukan kebanggaan?

namun, apalah ertinya...
apalah ertinya kalau kita berapi2 bekompang bergendang dengan fakta2 Sains begitu begini, andai tandus nilai kemanusiaan...kontang nilai kehambaan...

apalah gunanya mampu berhujah dengan fakta itu dan ini, tapi kaku hati nurani, layu rasa simpati, longlai jiwa empati...

apalah gunanya?
apalah kebanggaannya?

apa akar sebenar isu ini...apa yang kontang pada kita sebenarnya?

ilmukah?
materialkah?
ekonomikah?
kemanusiaankah?

kalau aku katakan TAUHID, bagaimana?
kau setuju?
kalau aku katakan, TAUHID kita tak sempurna
kerana itu, 'AQIDAH kita tak sempurna
kerana itu, IMAN kita tak sempurna
kerana itu, UKHWAH kita tak sempurna

lalu....
kita rasa sedih melihat foto kemusnahan WTC yang dua biji bangunan itu
tapi tak terasa hiba melihat foto ribuan rumah Muslim Palestin dibom, dikaut jentolak saban hari

kita rasa sayu melihat 'mangsa terorisme' di Bali hilang seorang dua sanak saudara
tapi langsung tak berkerut muka mendengar Muslim Palestin setiap hari kematian saudara

kita rasa sempit tinggal di pusat pemindahan banjir seminggu dua,
tapi tak teringat nak bersyukur...kerana Muslim Palestin ada yang duduk di khemah pelarian sejak tahun 1950an

kita semburkan air yang diminum sebab rasa klorin...takut sakit perut
tapi tak terfikir Muslim di Palestin (lagi), Sudan, Kashmir...semuanya minum air yang belum tentu bertapis pun

kawan-kawan, TAUHID kita belum betul sebenarnya

marilah, duduk sebentar, refleksi diri kita,
adakah kita jenis manusia yang

FAHAM dan BERAMAL

atau

2. FAHAM tapi TAK MAHU BERAMAL

atau memang

3. TAK FAHAM tapi masih MAHU BERAMAL

moga Allah pelihara kita daripada jadi yang seterusnya;
TAK MAHU FAHAM dan TAK MAHU BERAMAL
na'udzubillah

sama-sama fikir, dan berdasarkan tindakan, perlakuan, keputusan-keputusan hidup yang kita ambil setiap hari, tentukan kita berada di kelas yang mana sebenarnya...1?2?3?

fikirkan...gerakkan serebrum anda!

............................................

"Dan berpegang teguhlah kamu semua dengan tali Allah (Islam) dan janganlah kamu bercerai-berai, serta ingatlah nikmat Allah suatu ketika dahulu (ketika Jahiliyyah) kamu bermusuh-musuhan, maka Allah menjinakkan antara hati-hati kamu, lalu jadilah kamu dengan nikmat Allah tersebut orang-orang yang bersaudara. Dan ketika kamu berada di tepi jurang neraka, lalu Allah menyelamatkan kamu daripadanya. Demikianlah Allah menerangkan ayat-ayatNya agar kamu mendapat petunjuk"

(Ali 'Imran:103)

lu pikirlah sendiri!!!!

2009-01-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

Awal tahun ini diwarnai nuansa sadis sekitar pencerobohan Yahudi zionis ke atas bumi Palestin, dan dipalit darah umat Islam (yang setakat hari aku menulis) telah menggerogot lebih 700 nyawa dan mencederakan ribuan yang lain, kebanyakannya wanita dan kanak2 yang tidak langsung berdosa...

awal tahun ini juga yang aku saksikan, cereka sembang dunia sekitarku masih tetap begitu, tak kiralah yang di alam nyata mahupun yang maya...kebanyakan masih berlegar sekitar isu2 individualis dan isu2 'buaian jiwa'...sesetengahnya masih berlengah2, jauh benar dari sensitiviti seummat sambil bibir selamba minta dijamu KFC, dan segera aku mengingatkan.....

"kan kita tengah perang ni........."

namun, mujur juga (dengan rahmat Dia) hati dipujuk dengan munculnya kenalan2 baru, yang isu sembangnya bersangkut ilmu...
lebih enak lagi kala inti bicaranya adalah berbincang bab2 fitrah yang mahu disangkut dengan aqidah, dan ditunjuk jalan pelaksanaannya dengan syara' - petanda awal seorang 'ibnu' atau 'bintun' itu sudah mula mau berfikir tentang agama yang dianutnya, serta korelasi yang berkait dengan perjalanan hidupnya sebagai manusia...

ya, aku bukan guru agama...kalau dinilai dari jeans lusuh dan t-shirt belang2 maupun yang berlambang buaya, memang jauh panggang dari api! hehe

namun syukur juga, kerana di sebalik itu, Dia pinjamkan sedikit kesedaran, agar diri ini gemar berfikir, berfikir tentang yang terlihat pada manusia, berfikir tentang apa yang dibaca pada kitab2 agama, juga berfikir tentang apa yang terhadam pada kitab2 propaganda...
mungkin dari situ Dia ilhamkan, yang aku tak mau jadi pentaklid buta...

taklid mengkinzir buta pada norma masyarakat
(hari ini simpul tudungmu begini, kerana ia fesyen muslimah, esok simpulnya begitu kerana Wardina nampak cantik mengenakannya!)

taklid melulu pada nilai majoriti
(dulu si teruna tak berani ke rumah si gadis, melainkan sudah punya segalanya untuk berkeluarga, sekarang bila2 masa boleh kuusung ke sini sana...yang penting cukup gentleman!)

serta taklid fanatik pada fatwa tak bersumber
(Hadhari! hadhari! hadhari!)

................

kalau disusur galur sirah2 kenabian, akan terpampang kepada kita bahawa, intro perkenalan intim antara hamba dengan Tuhannya adalah melalui berfikir, atau dalam istilah yang aku gemar, "senam serebrum" =)

Ibrahim a.s. 'menemui' tuhannya dengan berfikir....dipertimbangkannya siapa yang lebih layak untuk disembahnya...apakah matahari?bulan?bintang?

Musa a.s. memahami hakikat hikmah dengan belajar berfikir dengan Khidir a.s...

Yusuf memahami hakikat kenabiannya serta nasib dirinya dengan ilmu mentakwil mimpi yang dikurniakan dariNya...itu juga proses berfikir

sirah2 ini, tidak lain adalah pengukuh pesanan, sebagai contoh di sisi mesej yang beribu tahun lama disampaikan dalam al-Qur'an;

"iaitu orang2 yang mengingati Allah dalam keadaan sambil berdiri, duduk dan berbaring, dan mereka memikirkan tentang penciptaan langit dan bumi (seraya berkata), Ya Tuhan kami, tidaklah Engkau menciptakan semua ini sia2, Maha Suci Engkau, lindungilah kami dari azab neraka" (Ali Imran:191)

ramai yang biasa mendengar, malah memahami ayat ini, namun gagal melihat kepada intipati yang lebih mendasar....

selama ini penemuan Sains yang kian hari kian banyak menunjukkan bukti2 kewujudan Tuhan dan korelasi kebenaran ayat2 al-Quran (teori Big Bang, evolusi, perkembangan janin dalam rahim ibu, dll) berjaya membuka minda dan mengukuhkan keyakinan umat manusia terhadap Islam
kita kini boleh berhujah dengan fakta2 saintifik dalam usaha2 da'wah
begitulah adanya insan2 yang bergerak melaungkan seruan kembali kepada Tuhan dengan berpaksikan dalil2 sains seperti Harun Yahya, Dr. Danial Zainal Abidin dan lain2...
mereka ini harus dipuji

namun, bagaimana pula dengan aspek2 non-scientific?
seperti sistem masyarakat, nilai, norma, etika, budaya, bahasa, politik, kerajaan, undang2 dan sebagainya?
adakah ayat tadi sekadar melingkung aspek penciptaan langit dan bumi sepertimana yang tertulis?
mungkinkah ia juga melingkung aspek2 abstrak atau non-concrete yang tercakup dalam ruang di antara langit dan bumi, jelasnya manusia dan kehidupannya?

ini harus difikirkan bersama

rasionalnya, aku terkelu apabila si fulan dan si fulan berhujah tentang fakta saintifik penciptaan manusia yang disebut dalam al-Qur'an tetapi pada masa yang sama memilih untuk mengamalkan gaya hidup Barat atas alasan kemodenan

atau tempoh hari, sambil iftar di kedai makan, menonton drama yang mana seorang watak perempuan berhujah bahawa menyuntik Botox itu haram di sisi Islam kerana ketidaktentuan status kandungan kimianya (adakah halal) dan risiko2nya sambil rambut digayakan persis artis Hollywood dan dalam babak lainnya mengenakan skirt atas lutut...ape kesss?

(mungkin di sini aku boleh hujahkan padanya secara saintifik bahawa dalam tubuh lelaki ada homon testosteron yang boleh dirangsang apabila kanta mata berjaya memfokus imej aurat yang terdedah kepada saraf optik, lalu signal impuls dipancar melalui neuron ke otot motor untuk melakukan aksi2 yang diharamkan oleh Islam....mungkin kala itu dia pula yang akan terkedu)

bersambung - jumpa lagi selepas Kem Cuti-Cuti Ibadah =)

Boikot Israel dan Amerika!!!

2009-01-06T23:02:00.000-08:00

peluru itu bukan punyaku
bom itu bukan milikku
roket yang liar di awan itu bukan temanku
mortar yang membedil itu bukan mainanku
senjata-senjata zalim itu bukan perkakasanku

darah itu
tubuh2 longlai itu
mayat2 manusia itu
anak2 yatim itu
balu2 itu

bukan salahku!

bukan aku!
jangan tanya aku!
jangan tuding padaku!
jangan toleh padaku!
jangan kau juih bibir ke arahku!

tapi aku juga tau
yang tembolok kau dan aku
pernah merengek dan merayu
ahh...mau yang ini, yang itu!
mau yang merah, yang biru!
lalu dititip
uang kertas dan logam
semua buat jadikan saham
untuk Yahudi jahanam

Tuhan, ampunkan aku
ampunkan dia dan aku!
ampunkan dia dan aku!

_________________________________________________

Kem Cuti-Cuti Ibadah '09

2009-01-05T05:57:00.001-08:00

Jemputan untuk muslimin yang berminat...bercuti dan beriadah demi redhaNya..bukankah hidup ini hakikatnya satu ibadah? =)

New Year Mesage for Obama and America

2009-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Open Letter to Barack Hussein Obama President-elect of the United States of America.

Dear Mr. President,

I did not vote for you in the Presidential Election because I am Malaysian.

But I consider myself one of your constituents because what you do or say will affect me and my country as well.

I welcome your promise to change. Certainly your country, the United States of America need a lot of changes.

That is because America and Americans have become the best hated people in the world. Even Europeans dislike your arrogance. Yet you were once admired and liked because you freed a lot of countries from conquest and subjugation.

It is the custom on New Year's day for people to make resolutions. You must have listed your good resolutions already. But may I politely suggest that you also resolve to do the following in pursuit of Change.

1) Stop killing people. The United States is too fond of killing people in order to achieve its objectives. You call it war, but today's wars are not about professional soldiers fighting and killing each other. It is about killing people, ordinary innocent people by the hundreds of thousands. Whole countries will be devastated.

War is primitive, the cavemen's way of dealing with a problem. Stop your arms build up and your planning for future wars.

2) Stop indiscriminate support of Israeli killers with your money and your weapons. The planes and the bombs killing the people of Gaza are from you.

3) Stop applying sanctions against countries which cannot do the same against you.

In Iraq your sanctions killed 500,000 children through depriving them of medicine and food. Others were born deformed.

What have you achieved with this cruelty? Nothing except the hatred of the victims and right-thinking people.

4) Stop your scientists and researchers from inventing new and more diabolical weapons to kill more people more efficiently.

5) Stop your arms manufacturers from producing them. Stop your sales of arms to the world. It is blood money that you earn. It is un-Christian.

6) Stop trying to democratize all the countries of the world. Democracy may work for the United States but it does not always work for other countries.

Don't kill people because they are not democratic. Your crusade to democratize countries has killed more people than the authoritarian Governments which you overthrew. And you have not succeeded anyway.

7) Stop the casinos which you call financial institutions. Stop hedge funds, derivatives and currency trading. Stop banks from lending non-existent money by the billions.

Regulate and supervise your banks. Jail the miscreants who made profits from abusing the system.

Sign the Kyoto Protocol and other international agreements.

9) Show respect for the United Nations.

I have many other resolutions for change which I think you should consider and undertake.

But I think you have enough on your plate for this 2009th year of the Christian Era.

If you can do only a few of what I suggest you will be remembered by the world as a great leader. Then the United States will again be the most admired nation. Your embassies will be able to take down the high fences and razor-wire coils that surround them.

May I wish you a Happy New Year and a great Presidency.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad

(Former Prime Minister of Malaysia)

*************************

some extremely brilliant and mouthful points for us to ponder, scrutinize, reflect and engulf in, huh? the clock is ticking, our Palestinian brothers and sisters are dying, and yet do i still have time to be fooling around, wasting my time, 'enjoying' the new year, answering tags?

oh! no, i don't...no, i don't...and forever i won't.

* let us all recite the qunut nazilah in and after our prayers...save some space for our brothers of the same faith in our lives, mind and emotion...indeed, we are all equal...

tahun baru itu

2008-12-28T22:57:00.000-08:00

Assalamualaikum...
salam sejahtera untuk jiwa2 yang bersatu atas tali Allah, tali keimanan yang menyatukan kita semua...juga buat jiwa2 yang mahu kembali kepadanya...yang sudi memusatkan buah fikirannya, meluangkan cetus impulsnya, dan memerah sendi2nya agar 'leka' dari laungan, bisikan dan pujuk rayu dunia penuh daki...yang hakikatnya hanya diperelokkan rupa oleh dia yang terang-terangan adalah musuh yang nyata...

Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!

...atau lafaz lainnya, Salam Maal Hijrah 1430 untuk kita.

Hari ini kita buka lembaran baru..sambil sekali-sekala mengintai helaian lama, buat renungan dan pengajaran... refleksi diri agar yang tertipu tak terus tertipu, yang lena tak terus terlena, yang kenyang dengan 'manis' dunia tak terus terlanjur....

"Dan kehidupan dunia ini, hanyalah pemainan dan senda gurau. sedangkan negeri akhirat itu, sungguh lebih baik bagi orang2 yang bertaqwa. tidakkah kamu mengerti?" (Al-An'am: 32)

Semalam (kalau kau diperingatkan) barangkali kau juga diizinkan Allah untuk turut sama duduk berdoa atas tahun yang sudah...dan tahun ini yang telah pun menjelang.
Kita sama2 doakan agar Dia ampunkan keterlanjuran kita pada tahun yang sudah...
agar Dia ampunkan kebongkakan kita pada status hamba..
agar Dia ampunkan kelupaan kita pada tanggungjawab yang utama...
agar Dia ampunkan kezaliman kita pada diri sendiri, pada insan lain, dan pada Dia sang pencipta...
agar Dia ampunkan ketamakan kita pada segala yang bukan hak...
agar Dia ampunkan kealpaan kita untuk besyukur...

dan untuk tahun ini, kau dan aku sama2 doakan, agar terpelihara dari godaan syaitan,
pembantu2nya....
tentera2nya...
dan pujuk rayunya dari melakukan kejahatan dan segala yang menyimpang dari suruhannya...

"Bukankah Aku telah memerintahkan kepadamu wahai anak cucu Adam agar kamu tidak menyembah syaitan? sungguh, syaitan itu musuh yang nyata bagi kamu" (YaaSin: 60)

moga2 tahun ini, Dia makbulkan doa kau dan aku, serta doa sekalian hambanya yang berbin dan binti...
moga2, di sebalik syahidnya saudara2 kita di Palestin dan mengalir darahnya akibat bom si celaka Yahudi Zionis,

di sebalik baculnya mereka yang menghina baginda Nabi di alam maya,

di sebalik jahilnya mereka yang menafikan suara2 da'wah...

moga2 Dia sediakan untuk kita lebih kekuatan...
lebih kekukuhan iman...
lebih perisai dari syaitan, pembantu2 dan tenteranya...

sedarlah aku dan kau, yang helah syaitan itu terlampau halus...
malah terlampau abstrak sepertimana segala ideologi dan 'ism'2 yang kian lama mengelirukan manusia
lupakan semua 'ism'2 itu..lupakan human rights, lupakan teori itu dan ini...
bukankah Islam itu syumul?
dan bukankah kau dan aku disuruh untuk 'masuk' ke dalam Islam itu dengan keseluruhannya?
bukankah?

mari buka lembaran baru tahun ini...mari betulkan niat dan matlamat hidup kita
hidup kita hakikatnya untuk hari kemudian...untuk janjiNya setelah dunia ditinggalkan...
mari sama2 optimumkan persediaan untuk hari itu...
marilah...

HAPPY NEW YEAR 1430H....

entry pasca final exam

2008-11-15T17:24:00.000-08:00

Assalamualaikum...

jujurnya tiada ilham untuk menulis..selain mengungkap syukur kerana selesai sudah final exam semester ini..semester yang penuh tekanan dari awal, malah sampai ke akhirnya!

untuk aku, jalan ini, jalan menara gading yang penuh liku, kerikil, lumpur ini hampir sampai ke akhirnya...satu semester lagi untuk menepis daki dunia, menghayun langkah berat dan memerah kudrat serebrum untuk beroleh kemanisan menuntut ilmu...sambil tak lupa memaniskan senyum, menyusun langkah, melontarkan pesan berunsur kehambaan...bukankah memang itu tanggungjawab kita?

"Siapakah yang lebih baik perkataannya daripada orang yang menyeru kepada Allah, mengerjakan amal yang soleh, dan berkata; Sesungguhnya aku termasuk orang-orang yang menyerah diri?"
(Al-Fusshilat : 33)

mungkin untuk kali ini, tempoh terdekat ini, begitulah perancangannya..

tangga lebih tinggi? kesarjanaan? tunggu dulu...biar aku lunaskan hutang ilmu ini dengan Empunyanya dulu...biar aku isi kekosongan jiwa ini dulu. kau yang berolehnya lebih dulu dari aku, bertuahlah engkau!

terjumpa ini di blog cikgu jimi...menarik...

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you' ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

aku jeles (lagi)?

2008-11-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

"Wahai manusia! Bertakwalah kepada Tuhanmu yang telah menciptakan kamu dari diri yang satu (Adam), dan (Allah) menciptakan pasangannya (Hawa) dari (diri)nya; dan dari keduanya Allah memperkembangbiakkan laki-laki dan perempuan yang banyak. Bertakwalah kepada Allah yang dengan namanya kamu saling meminta, dan peliharalah hubungan kekeluargaan. Sesungguhnya Allah selalu menjaga dan mengawasimu "
(An-Nisa: 1)

Hidup ini penuh kebetulan...itu yang kita selalu katakan. yang punya sedikit kefahaman mungkin akan cuba kaitkan dengan 'tangan Allah' yang mengatur segala kejadian...tiap kejadian punya hikmah, tiap peristiwa punya makna, tiap kisah punya tujuan...yang lebih 'terbuka' pula akan melihat dengan pandangan biasa, barangkali sambil berkata, "let nature run its course" dan sebagainya....

aku sedang membaca surah ini, kisah ini, tentang perihal an-Nisa' (wanita) yang tertulis dari point of view Dia, al-Khalik, bila banyak pula berita2 berkisar wanita yang datang menjengah telinga...kebetulan?atau punya makna, hikmah, tujuan?

dalam ayat 1 surah an-Nisa', Allah dengan jelas mengingatkan kita agar bertaqwa kepadanya....itu suruhan pertama...intipati terutama.
kenapa perlu taqwa? kerana taqwa itu kunci kepada kesedaran akan sifat kehambaan, selain syukur. semasa kecil, bahkan hingga kini, aku selalu mengingatkan diri yang sifat taqwa ini mirip kepada perasaan takut kepada 'a more superior being'...rasa takut yang mengawal perilaku...rasa takut yang membatas rasa bebas...rasa takut yang menghindar rasa 'besar'...
ambil satu contoh yang mudah, jika seorang itu takut pada hantu, maka dia takkan tengok movie seram di tengah malam, dia takkan berjalan seorang pada malam gelap, dia takkan tutup pintu tandas bila memerut dan sebagainya...

segala tindakan2 yang aku senaraikan tadi (tengok filem seram, berjalan seorang, tutup pintu tandas) adalah perilaku, manakala keyword 'takkan' adalah batasannya...
kau boleh saja nak tengok filem seram, berjalan seorang malam2 dan tutup pintu tandas bila memerut bila2 kau nak sbnarnya, tapi disebabkan oleh satu faktor iaitu takut hantu, keyword takkan tu comes into effect...kalau kau kate takut tinggi ke, takut naik motor ke, xdela keywod tu berkesan kan....nampak tak?
dalam erti kata lain, bolehlah aku simpulkan mereka yang takut pada hantu sebenarnya sedang bertaqwa kepada hantu...kau bertaqwa pada hantu?

sambung balik, apabila sifat ketaqwaan ini disalurkan ke tempat yang betul, iaitu kepada Dia, al-Khalik, maka akan terserlahlah sifat kehambaan kita kepadaNya...akan berkesanlah keyword 'takkan' tadi dalam kehidupan seharian...
persoalannya ialah, perilaku apakah yang akan menerima kesan daripada keyword ini?adakah semua norma hidup manusia akan dilibatkan? adakah manusia akan sentiasa hidup dalam ketakutan, dek kerana bimbang melanggar constraint tadi bak kata pujangga makan x kenyang, mandi x basah? (yela, nak makan rasa takut, nak mandi rasa takut...ape kess?)

wahai aku dan kau, rasa taqwa kepada Allah itu unik...dengan takwa, aku bukan saja takut padaNya, malah aku kasih padaNya...kau yang bertaqwa dengan hantu,kau kasih tak pada hantu tu?
rasa taqwa kepada Allah mengawal diri aku supaya menjadi menjadi hamba yang kenal siapa dirinya...menjadi manusia yang sedar salah silapnya..menjadi seorang pengikut yang taat pada pimpinan Rasulnya...menjadi anak yang kasih pada keluarganya.... menjadi seorang pelajar yang cinta pada ilmunya...menjadi seorang lelaki yang faham fungsi hidupnya....

suruhan bertakwa itu disertakan dengan peringatan, bahawa kita ini diciptakan olehNya...olehNya sahaja...ahh lupakan big bang, lupakan cimpanzi Darwinisme, lupakan genetic cloning...lupakan!

ya...kita diciptakan olehNya saja...dan dari benih yang satu (Adam) dan pasangannya (Hawa). Adam perlukan Hawa...ini memang sifat azalinya...kenikmatan di syurga tak mampu menghibur hatinya, membuai jiwanya...

dia mahukan teman...teman hidup yg melengkapi kekurangannya...dia mahukan Hawa.
dan Hawa itu dicipta dari rusuknya, agar sentiasa terasa dekat di hatinya...terasa sentiasa ingin dilindunginya...terasa sentiasa ingin dimanjainya...
dan sifat Adam ini diturunkan kepada anak cucu, keturunannya hinggalah sampai kepada kau dan aku...
aku juga perlukan Hawa.
kalau boleh, ingin saja aku ambil semua Hawa, aku jadikan koleksi.ada yg aku simpan di rumah, ada di kampus, ada di pasar, ada di stor, ada di taman bunga, ada di masjid, ada di bengkel, ada di mana-manalah!tiap yang aku jumpa, aku ambil. tak kiralah macam mana rupanya...semua aku nak.dan di kala itu (kala ini juga) barangkali kau dah mula label aku gila perempuan, gila isim, gila seks, gila meroyan, gila todi, apa2 gila lah!
tapi kau silap, kau silap kalau kau labelkan aku saja dengan nama2 tu...percayalah, semua lelaki juga macam aku...kami keturunan Adam, bapa manusia.
yang memandu kami tetaplah satu, taqwa.

taqwa yang activate keyword takkan...taqwa yang membentuk siapa aku sekarang...taqwa yang beri aku ketenangan, taqwa yang menyembunyikan aku dari kesunyian...taqwa juga yang menguatkan azam aku untuk kekal begini..taqwa yang mengukuhkan tekad aku untuk terus mencari...taqwa yang membina kefahaman aku tentang 'dia' yang halal dan paling layak dinikahi...

tribute untuk rakan2 aku yang akan walimah bulan ini dan disember depan...aku doakan kamu bahagia.... dan tolong doakan aku agar terus bertaqwa!

kisah-kisah cahaya [inbox]

2008-11-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

bismillah... ucapan syukur atas nikmat akal yang diberi, namun bukanlah pemberian ini percuma sahaja! Hari ini serebrum ingin berseni..

Semalam aku mengemas akaun emel, rasanya ramai orang buat bende ni... bila dah serabut tgk jumlah emel dan spam yang berlambak-lambak dengan label 'unread'. Sambil-sambil mengemas itu aku buka kembali emel-emel lama yang masih disimpan atau diletakkan ke dalam archive sebagai bahan rujukan atau imbauan silam dan juga perjalanan hidup. Kalau diteliti betul-betul emel ini menunjukkan rentak atau irama kehidupan seharian kita juga. Kepada siapa emel kita hantar, daripada siapa emel kita hantar, dan banyak lagi. Jika kita plotkan aktiviti emel kita ini dalam gambarajah mungkin kita akan melihat corak daripada rentak atau irama itu.

Jadi bukanlah aku nak bercerita perihal emel tapi sebenarnnya, dalam asyik membaca kembali itu... aku terfikir daripada aku simpan sahaja lebih baik aku berkongsi, sekurang-kurangnya bertambahlah insan-insan yang dapat memperoleh sesuatu darinya. Oleh itu aku akan melabelkan entri yang berasal dari 'archive' emel ini sebagai [inbox].

Maka untuk entri [inbox] pertama ini menjurus kepada kisah CAHAYA. Ada 2 kisah sebenarnya... saling berkaitan tetapi tidak sama.

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Kisah CAHAYA 1

Di kala fajar menyinsing, di kala kedinginan menyelubungi ruang... aku terpanggil untuk bercerita ttg seni, sudah lama aku tak bercerita ttg 'seni' di khalayak 'mata biasa'. Sudah menjadi kebiasan juga bagi 'mata biasa' mengaitkan sesuatu yg indah itu sebagai seni....

sukar bagi 'mata biasa' memahami erti ruang yg bernyawa, namun bukan itu persoalannya kerana sememangnya hakikat tidur itu seolah-olah tidak bernyawa.

Bermulanya kehidupan apabila cahaya menyinari sebahagian ruang.... begitu jugalah alam dicipta adanya siang dan malam. Ruang yang tadinya tidak bernyawa mula bernafas apabila penghuninya melangkah keluar dari 'hampir mati' kepada hidup. Ruang istirehat berubah menjadi ruang persalinan???

Sekali lagi 'mata biasa' akan bertanya kenapa ruang itu berubah? Cahaya itu masih tidak memberi erti,apa yang dilihat hanyalah cahaya yang menerangi... terang tidak membawa erti?

Sesungguhnya jiwa yang damai akan mengerti kedamaian... hati yang tenang dapat merasai ketenangan. Maka 'mata biasa' sudah pasti boleh melihat sepertimana 'mata' dapat melihat jika cahaya yang menerangi itu membawa maksudnya yang tersendiri.

Demikianlah cahaya itu disusun indah di dalam ruang, seolah-olah nadi yang menentukan hidup mati ruang itu. Indahnya hidup seseorang apabila ia dapat menjiwai keindahan itu sebagaimana indahnya wahyu memandu kehidupan manusia.

Cerita ini tidak berakhir di sini tidak juga bermula selepas ini.... malah ianya terus dibaca oleh 'mata biasa'

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Kisah CAHAYA 2
Di kala awan mendung membawa rahmat, tergerak hatiku utk menyambung kembali kisah ttg 'cahaya'....kerana mana mungkin 'mata biasa' dapat melihat tanpa cahaya...tiada gambaran yang akan disertakan tetapi minda bakal bermain mencari gambaran. Bukan mudah ianya terlukis, namun tidak mustahil untuk minda melukis.

Pagi itu cahaya datang, senja itu cahaya pergi.... Ruang istirehat menghadapkan bukaannye ke Utara, dingin menusuk masuk, terjahannye tepat tidak tersebar . Tapi mata biasa tidak terasa kerana ruang dipakaikan hiasan merah, kuning dan jingga.

Senja itu cahaya pergi, pagi itu cahaya datang....Ruang bicara menghadapkan bukaannya ke Selatan, hangat menusuk masuk, terang dan tersebar . Tapi mata biasa masih merasa selesa kerana ruang dipakaikan hiasan gelap kebiruan dan kehijauan.

Pagi itu cahaya datang, senja itu cahaya pergi.... Ruang menjamu selera menghadapkan bukaannya ke Timur, pagi itu terang dantersebar, petang menjadi muram . Namun, mata biasa tidak juga merasa kerana ruang dipakaikan hiasan merah, kuning, biru dan hijau dengan indah dan adil.

Senja itu cahaya pergi, pagi itu cahaya datang.... Ruang bersuci menghadapkan bukaannya ke Barat, pagi itu ia tidak dirasai, petang ia tersebar dan terang . Sekali lagi mata biasa tidak merasa apa-apa...hairan?, ruang ini juga sudah dipakaikan hiasan merah, kuning dan jingga rupanya.

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Begitulah 2 kisah tentang CAHAYA, minta maafla kerana kisah-kisah diatas perlu diterjemah sendiri seperti membaca sajak, kerana memang bentuk penceritaan dibuat seperti sajak. Terpulang kepada pembaca untuk menterjemahkan maksud disebalik setiap perkataan.

wallahua'lam

Usahalah !!

2008-11-06T15:14:00.000-08:00

Dan Dialah yang menidurkan kamu pada waktu malam dan mengetahui apa yang kamu kerjakan pada siang hari; kemudian Dia bangunkan kamu (dari tidur) padanya, untuk disempurnakan ajal (masa umur kamu) yang telah ditetapkan. Kemudian kepadaNyalah tempat kamu kembali, kemudian Dia menyatakan kepada kamu apa yang kamu lakukan.
Al-An'aam:60 - al-Quran

Malam tadi aku tak dapat melelapkan mata untuk tidur... padahal siangnya dah penat melakukan pelbagai perkara, kenapa?

Maka aku berusaha juga untuk tidur... banyak langkah-langkah yang aku lakukan.

Aku masuk ke dapur dan bancuh secawan susu... dulu seorang kawan pernah kata kalau minum susu panas boleh bantu untuk tidur.

Aku ke rak buku dan ambil sebuah buku yang bertajuk "The Oxford Dictionary of Current English"... ada kawan cakap kalau baca buku tu lama-lama konfem tidur, jadi aku buat jugalah.

Kemudian aku ambil sehelai kain bendera Selangor-'merah kuning', dan ditutup pada monitor yang terang itu sebab ada kawan ajar kalau nak dapat mood tidur suasana bilik kena romantik sikit.

Aku pun baring di atas katil, ambil selimut tutup mata supaya tak nampak apa-apa, mudah-mudahan tidurlah aku... dengan penuh khusyuk doa-doa untuk tidur dibaca.

Kerana sebelum ini aku minum susu panas.. makin bertenaga pula rasanya.

Sebelum itu aku baca bukannya makin mengantuk tetapi semakin syok plak rasanya.. lagi-lagi jumpa perkataan-perkataan baru.

Suasana bilik yang romantik itu pun tidak membantu, sekadar membuatkan fikiran merawang-rawang melayan jiwang.

Namun aku percaya kalau Allah sudah takdirkan aku untuk tidak tidur malam tadi tak mengapa kerana alam ini adalah di bawah kekuasaanNya sahaja.

Kepada semua yang sedangberusaha.. berusahalah dengan keyakinanmu kepadaNya.

selamat mengharungi exam buat affendik dan sesiapa sahaja yang seangkatan...!

Allah, tiada Tuhan (yang berhak disembah) melainkan Dia, Yang Tetap hidup, Yang Kekal selama-lamanya mentadbirkan (sekalian makhlukNya). Yang tidak mengantuk usahkan tidur. Yang memiliki segala yang ada di langit dan yang ada di bumi. Tiada sesiapa yang dapat memberi syafaat (pertolongan) di sisiNya melainkan dengan izinNya. Yang Mengetahui apa yang ada di hadapan mereka dan apa yang ada di belakang mereka, sedang mereka tidak mengetahui sesuatu pun dari (kandungan) ilmu Allah melainkan apa yang Allah kehendaki (memberitahu kepadanya). Luasnya Kursi Allah (ilmuNya dan kekuasaanNya) meliputi langit dan bumi dan tiadalah menjadi keberatan kepada Allah menjaga serta memelihara keduanya. Dan Dialah Yang Maha Tinggi (darjat kemuliaanNya), lagi Maha Besar (kekuasaanNya).
Al-Baqarah:255 - al-Quran