A Soul in Troubled Water

Actually I am currently in exam week, which means I should be studying right now, but my short concentration span on numbers and Sum – with the big stylized S – brought me here. I often wonder what effect does dyslexia have on me nowadays, but I am pretty sure that my theoretical musing on this matter is just a form of escapism from admitting that I am just being plain lazy – at times.

I guess you must have noticed that the title of this post is the same as the ‘catch-word’ of this blog. Actually I got the idea for that ‘catch-word’ from my last year’s design course project, which I had to propose a design for the new Peace Bridge at Buffalo-Niagara – just a university course, nothing real, in case you are wondering. The name of the project was “A Bridge Over Troubled Water.” At the same time last year, I’ve gone through a lot of changes and some hardship – relatively, I admit I have an easy life thus far. Soul or in Arabic nafs, was something that concerned me a lot during that time - still do. I felt like I have never realized about its existence before, after all these years – amazingly, well maybe this is a bit of a hyperbola. It was the awareness about the condition of my heart and it’s hard to explain what it was about exactly. With that, a plethora of things regarding me – from personality to behavior etcetera – have gone through some reverse engineering processes. My best friend sum it up in a sentence as “the continuous evolution of ****” [my real name, censored]. I guess it must be at the very least perplexing, for someone who has known me for a long time to see me going through these facets of change. It is true that people change all the time, it’s all dynamic, but sometimes the changes are mild and sometimes they are drastic; more importantly I am not talking about changes per se.

Sometimes the physical body seems healthy, but the inner soul is in great turmoil. Sometimes we don’t even understand why we are in such and such condition. Actually we may intellectually understand why, but everything just seems so hard… Some say it’s just part and parcel of being adolescent, but I think it applies to everyone regardless of age or whatever. I have some friends who are currently in this so-called skepticism (if not Ghazalian skepticism) phase. The usual characteristic of this phase is the ‘uzlah period (the noun would be al-‘Azel), which I guess can be loosely translated to English as 'to retreat'. I had a conversation with a friend – more like a teacher-cum-friend to me – whom I call him as just abang. I don’t really know him actually, but he is one of those people I just feel at ease with. He said, “I’m running far right now.” I guess running here applies to both: metaphorical and literal. He continued, “Actually, I don’t know why I changed my personality” After I suggested that I’ve noticed even though I don’t know him that much, he concluded, “I don’t know, I don’t even know myself.”

How ironic, this seems to be a carbon copy of the condition of another friend of mine whom I barely know too, but for some reason I feel at ease with. There is nothing much that I can do, I realize that. Sometimes I am perplexed by the changes that are happening, and in the process, my selfish-self tries to protect my own self-interests. My apologies. I hope you can bear with my idiosyncrasies, which I don't understand them myself. As for my asking - just like them - it’s nothing more than I want you to be successful.

p/s: This blog will include some more personal posts like this from now on. I would like to remind myself from making all my emotions a public affair too ;) Hehe…

A Random Compilation Of Wisdoms

Wisdom 1: Dissension, Reconciliation, and Ego.
Treat differences among your fellow kin with kindness and nothing but kindness. Mu’awiyah once said, “if there was a hair of relationship between me and someone else, if he pulled on it I would release, and if he released it, I would pull.” Often, your ego will be the main obstacle in exercising kindness in dealing with dissensions. So be wary of your own ego before you worry about other people’s actions and hidden motives. Remember: “Let not some men among you deride others who may be better than they (are), nor let women (deride) women who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. Evil is a bad name after faith.” [Sûrah al-Hujurât: 11].

Take heed of Imam Ash-Syafi’e’s fine advice on brotherhood:-
"The following three conditions are signs of the genuine nature of one's love for his brother in religion: To tolerate a few small errors without reproaching the other party, and accept that person for what he is; to cover up any unbecoming actions performed openly;to forgive any wrong directed towards oneself."

Syaikh Hamza Yusuf once spoke on Islam Channel: "There’s a verse in the Qur’an that is very interesting to me, and probably to most of you, ‘If people incline towards reconciliation, incline with them and trust in God. When they want to incline towards peace, you incline towards peace; and if they want to deceive you, if there’s some hidden ulterior motive, God is enough for you.’ Don’t worry about that, that’s not your concern. Peace is so precious, that anybody who reaches out for peace, you should reach out with them for peace” (I believe he was talking about Surah Al-Anfal: 8).



Wisdom 2: The Inner Lawyer.
Find the inner lawyer in you – now this is very important. Think for a second: to be a good lawyer, it often helps to be a good liar. Although most lawyers won’t tell a direct lie, most will do what they can to hide the inconvenient truths, while offering a plausible alternative version of ‘what really happened’ to the jury – a story that they know is not true. Know that your inner lawyer works the same way, but the biggest and most important difference is you actually believe the story he makes up! So catch him when he is in action.

People who are asked to read a study showing that drinking coffee is unhealthy would think extra hard to find flaws in the study – flaws that people who don’t drink coffee won’t notice. When someone reprimanded you for not going to the mosque for Solat Juma’ah, in an instance your brain will be busy cogitating about a valid justification for your misconduct: “The mosque was too far away. Hmm, not really. Oh yeah, my class ended extra late today. Then I was so, so, so hungry, I needed to eat first, and by the time I finished the food, I was already too late for the prayer. Anyway, I won’t be able to concentrate on the khutbah if I went there with an empty stomach just now.”

Over and over again, studies have shown that people set out on a cognitive mission to bring back reasons to support their preferred action. And because we are usually successful in this mission, we end up with the illusion of objectivity. The only answer that I can think of to overcome this problem is to have true moral sincerity, which is not something easy to attain, as we always tend to keep up appearances when it comes to morality: "If one of you wishes to content all the people, he cannot. The servant must be careful to have moral sincerity. Every good work he performs must remain between him and Allah." (Imam Ash-Syafi’e) How hard is that…


Wisdom 3: Khushoo’ in Solat.
Have khushoo’ in your solat. To me the degree of khushoo’ that you can attain in your solat is a strong indicator as to your current spiritual state. If you cannot attain humility towards Allah during those five minutes, then what chance for you to have humility towards Him for the rest of the day? If you often fail to attain khushoo’ then reflect hard on your current condition. Ask yourself: “To what extend do I love this dunya and to what extend do I neglect my duties towards Allah presently?”

At the same time, be wary of the khushoo’ of hypocrisy. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya said, explaining the difference between the khushoo’ of true faith and the khushoo’ of the hypocrisy: “The khushoo’ of true faith is when the heart feels aware and humble before the greatness and glory of Allah, and is filled with awe, fear, and shyness, so that the heart is utterly humbled before Allah and broken, as it were, with fear, shyness, love and the recognition of the blessings of Allah and its own sins. So, no doubt, the khushoo’ of the heart is followed by the khushoo’ of the body.As for the khushoo’ of hypocrisy, it is something that is put on with a great show, but there is no khushoo’ in the heart.”

Ponder upon how the sahabah and the salaf were when they pray: ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib r.a. would be visibly shaken, and the color of his face would change when he was about to pray. It was said to him, “What is the matter with you?” He said, “By Allah, there has come the time of the Trust: “Indeed, We offered the Amanah [Trust] to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it; but man bore it…” (Qur’an 33:72). Syaikh al-Islam Ibn Taimiyah, when he started to pray, used to tremble so much that he would lean right and left. Just compare this with what we do in our prayers nowadays: Thinking about the unsolved math problems in calculus, planning what to do next, fiddling with our nose, checking the watch, etc.


Wisdom 4: Conduct in a Debate, Discussion, or Assembly
Remember Imam Ash-Syafi’e’s words when you are in a heated debate: “Never do I argue with a man with a desire to hear him say what is wrong, or to expose him and win victory over him. Whenever I face an opponent in debate I silently pray - "O Allah, help him so that truth may flow from his heart and on his tongue, and so that if truth is on my side, he may follow me; and if truth be on his side, I may follow him." More importantly – if one is sincere in conveying the truth – choose wisely when to debate in public and when to give personal advice. These two modes will give a dramatically different impact on the one you seek to counsel, as Imam Ash-Syafi’e eloquently puts, "if anyone gives secret advice to his brother in faith, he will have engaged in good counseling and adorned him with good manners. If he seeks to give advice openly in public it will have no effect. He will, in a sense, have condemned the other party, and thus shamed him."

Listen carefully to Imam Abu Hanifah’s great advice:-
“Show people as much love as you can. Greet everyone, even the very lowly. If you gather with others in an assembly and discuss various problems, during which someone expresses an idea to which you are opposed, do not oppose them. If they ask you, give your opinion, speak what is in your heart, and say that there are such and such opinions on this subject and the proof is as follows. Thus, they will listen to you and understand the degree of your knowledge. Treat them gently and be tolerant. Show no boredom or weariness to anyone.

Comfort yourself as like one of them. Trust no one's friendship until it has been proven. Do not be friends with anyone low or vulgar. Be virtuous, generous, and deep of heart. Your clothes should be clean and new. Have a good horse to ride. Use pleasant scents. Be generous when you give people food to eat and satisfy everyone. Whenever you hear of any strife or corruption, hasten to resolve it. Visit those who visit you and those who do not. Always do good, whether others wish you good or ill. Forgive and turn a blind eye to some things. Abandon those things that distress you and try to do what is right. Visit those of your companions who fall ill, and ask after those you do not see. Take an interest in those who do not come to you." (From Abu Hanifah's bequest to his student Abu Yusuf).


One Last Shard of Wisdom…
“Never assume that anyone in this world can really understand your circumstances other than from the perspective of his own circumstances. This is because in reality people see things in accordance with their frames of references and their personal paths. However, when aims, purpose, and aspirations are similar, people tend to work together toward a common goal.” (Sidi Ahmad al-Zaruq)

Ramadhan di Bumi Toronto

Sebentar tadi aku melayari blog Abu Maryam dan aku terhibur dengan kisah-kisah pengalaman beliau menyambut bulan Ramadhan di bumi Ottawa. Jadi aku terasa ingin menukilkan pengalaman menyambut Ramadhan di bumi Toronto ini pula. Izin aku menyelit cerita-cerita sampingan dalam hidupku sekali.

Setakat ini, semester ini jauh lebih baik bagiku berbanding dengan tahun lepas. Aku menyewa sebuah apartment di 168 Simcoe Street, downtown Toronto (dekat dengan universiti) bersama dua orang rakan lain. Housemates aku sorang Indian Muslim, nama beliau Ali Akbar, dan sorang lagi Pakistani, nama beliau Uzayr. Mereka ini boleh dikatakan sama wavelength dengan aku, jadi kami boleh get along with each other dengan mudah. Aku mengenali Ali pada Ramadhan tahun lepas, apabila beliau menegur aku selepas kami selesai solat tarawikh di Masjid Toronto. Ali peramah orangnya, sebab itu la dia yang tegur aku pada masa itu, walaupun aku hanya a stranger to him. Aku pula agak pendiam la, boleh la kot bercakap bila perlu, tetapi ada sesetengah masa tak reti berhenti bercakap pula. Ali budak architecture a.k.a. artsies, aku dan Uzayr pula budak engineering, jadi mengikut tradisi universiti, budak artsies dan budak engineering sepatutnya tak sebulu. Kami ‘bergaduh’ juga la tentang itu sekali-sekala (bergurau saja la), tetapi akhirnya aku dan uzayr terpaksa akur dengan status Ali sebagai ‘bos’ rumah. Ini kerana beliau lah yang uruskan segala perihal renting dan lain-lain lagi. Ali sangat sistematik dan organized orangnya (which is so opposite of me), jadi aku kena la ‘merajinkan’ diri mengemas rumah dan barang-barang aku mengikut standard piawaian Ali. Ali mempunyai budi pekerti yang sangat menyenangkan dan beliau sangat mengambil berat tentang urusan agama, jadi aku bersyukur mempunyai housemate seperti beliau (Uzayr pon sama).

Kami ke Masjid Toronto (hanya 10 minutes walk sahaja dari apartment kami) untuk berbuka puasa (iftar) hampir tiap-tiap hari. Biasanya aku akan berjumpa dengan Zul, Mus, dan Safwan (‘junior’ aku) sekali di sana. Hightlight semasa iftar di Masjid Toronto biasanya ialah siri-siri kuliah (sembang kedai kopi saja la) tentang History of The Gulf. Ini kerana kami biasanya duduk bersama tambahan 4 orang teman setia, masing-masing daripada Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, dan Egypt semasa berbuka puasa. Iraq dan Iran sudah tentu la tidak sebulu kerana masalah-masalah politik antara kedua-kedua negara, jadi Mehdi (Iranian) dan Abdul Rahman (Iraqi) ada sahaja la topik yang akan mereka ‘perdebatkan’: Tentang Ahmadinejad, masalah Syi’ah dan Sunni, perang gulf 4+2, Saddam, dan banyak lagi. Abdul Kareem dari Lebanon pula jadi moderator, seperti mana negara Lebanon menjadi moderator bila Iran dan Iraq tengah panas hendak berperang. Kadang-kadang boleh jadi serious juga, tetapi biasanya mereka berseloroh sahaja kerana masing-masing kawan baik sebenarnya. Jikalau aku ada kelas di universiti sehingga pukul 6 atau 7 petang pula, biasanya aku akan berbuka puasa di iftar campus yang dianjurkan oleh Muslim Student Association (MSA).

Di Masjid Toronto mereka solat tarawikh 20 raka’at dan Imam membaca 1 juzu’ satu malam. Ada 2 imam regular yang bergilir selepas 10 raka’at pertama. Kadang-kala selepas 4 raka’at akan ada satu ceramah ringkas yang diberi oleh penceramah jemputan, dan kadang-kala akan ada fund raising session untuk membesarkan sebuah Islamic School di Toronto. Pada sepuluh malam terakhir pula, ada qiamulail dari pukul 12.30 hingga 1.30 pagi. Kira banyak la juga waktu bersolat tu kan, tetapi Ali masih tak berpuas hati (huhu..). Beliau pergi ke sebuah lagi masjid yang bernama Masjid Salahuddin untuk qiamulail. Di sana katanya imam membaca 3 juzu’ satu malam untuk qiamulail pada sepuluh malam terakhir bagi menghabiskan al-Qur’an dalam 10 malam tersebut. Masjid tersebut agak jauh dari apartment kami, jadi kena naik subway untuk ke sana. Ali ada mengajak aku tetapi belum kesampaian lagi untuk aku ke sana, kerana aku selalu sebok sahaja dengan pelbagai assignments (Artsies macam Ali memang la banyak free).

Terdapat sebuah lagi masjid di Toronto yang membaca 3 juzu’ satu malam, iaitu Masjid Umar al-Khattab. Seniorku Shameel yang menuntut di UofT Missisauga gemar ke sana kerana housemate beliau, Zack a.k.a. Zakariya (orang Somali) adalah salah seorang Imam di masjid tersebut. Selepas meeting MASAT, Shameel mengajaku ke sana dan aku terima ajakannya (esok pula weekend, Alhamdulillah ada masa lapang). Lebih kurang 80-90 orang jema’ah yang hadir di masjid tersebut . Tetapi Ali kata di Masjid Salahuddin biasanya ada lagi ramai, lebih kurang 300 orang begitu. Pada malam tersebut, 3 juzu’ dihabiskan dalam 8 raka’at, jadi satu solat berlangsung lebih kurang 30-45 minit. Lenguh juga untuk berdiri begitu lama. Imam pula bertukar-tukar bagi setiap solat, jadi ada at least empat hafiz di masjid itu. Semuanya orang Somali, bacaan mereka sedap-sedap belaka.

Selepas 4 raka’at terdapat break selama 15 minit. Imam memberi tazkirah ringkas. Beliau berpesan bahawa bagi solat sunat, dibolehkan untuk solat duduk. Jadi jikalau tidak larat, beliau kata, silalah solat secara duduk dan tiada apa untuk berasa malu dengan berbuat demikian. Beliau berpesan lagi, kita perlu ‘enjoy’ our solat. Kalau kita rasa ‘merana’ sahaja sepanjang solat, nanti kita tak look forward to our next solat. Beliau mengingatkan tentang orang munafik yang datang solat di masjid, tetapi dalam hati mereka sebenarnya mereka membenci solat – kita tidak mahu menjadi sperti itu. Beliau juga mengisahkan tentang peristiwa rasulullah s.a.w. (diriwayatkan oleh ‘Aisyah) yang mana rasulullah s.a.w. bangun malam dan meminta izin 'Aisyah untuk meninggalkan beliau bagi solat. Lalu rasulullah s.a.w. pergi solat dan beliau menangis sampai basah lantai. Kemudian Bilal datang untuk azan fajr, dan beliau nampak rasulullah s.a.w. dengan keadaan demikian lalu bertanya, "You too, o Prophet of Allah? Why do you cry when Allah has forgiven all your past and future sins?" Rasulullah s.a.w. pon bersabda, "Shouldn't I be a grateful slave?"[1] Kalau rasulullah s.a.w. pon sampai sebegitu, apatah lagi kita ni yang berlumuran dengan dosa.

Setelah solat witr, hidangan sahur pula disediakan masjid untuk para jema’ah – briyani daging lagi tu, tidak ku sangka sungguh. Setelah selesai solat fajr, Zack dan Syameel menghatar aku pulang ke apartment aku dengan menaiki kereta Zack. Semasa perjalanan pulang kelihatan manusia-manusia yang mendirikan malam dengan berdisko dan mabuk. Syameel yang menetap di Missisauga (suburb of Toronto, kawasan tenteram sikit) memberi komen, “Downtown is full of weird people doing weird stuff.”

I can’t agree more.

Salam dari bumi Toronto.

Footnote:-

[1] When Ata' and Ubaydullah ibn Umayr once asked Aisha about the nature of Prophet Muhammad's behavior with her: "Aisha started to weep and said, 'One night he stood up [intending to offer the night prayer] and said, 'O Aisha, let me be alone so that I may worship my Lord.' He stood up, purified himself and continued to pray and weep until the ground became wet. Bilal came and made the adhan. When he saw the Prophet crying, he said, 'O Messenger of Allah [why do] you cry, when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins?' Prophet Mohammed replied, '[Then, for that] should I not be a thankful slave?'" [Ibn Hibban]

A Sound Heart?

Imam Ghazali says there is an outward and inward fasting (pretty obvious). The outward is of course to abstain from drinking, eating, and sexual intimacy, while the inward is making sure that our fast is accepted by Allah. The prophet s.a.w. said “Many are those who fast attaining nothing but hunger and many are those performing solah by night attaining nothing but tiredness” [Ibn Majah, Nasaa’i]. Outwardly they seems fine, but inwardly they ‘break’ their fast with such things as backbiting, lustful glances, lies and other violations of inward fast.

Ibn Qayyim said that the body of the human being is like a country, whose capital is the heart and whose frontiers are the seven limbs. Satan reaches the heart through one or more of these appendages. Fasting guards the boundaries and trains its sentinels so the heart has a greater chance of drawing near to God[1]. In a hadith (sahih Bukhari), the Prophet s.a.w. said that fasting is a shield, and someone who is fasting should not indulge in obscene language, nor raise the voice, and if someone tries to quarrel with him, he should say “I am a person fasting” [2].

Imam al-Ghazali said, “How many people are not fasting, but with God they are fasting? And how many people are fasting, but with God they are not fasting?”[3]. Questions that we should ask ourselves are: Will we still be 'fasting' even after Ramadhan? Are we even 'fasting' in this month of Ramadhan?

The day of judgement is described as “a day which neither wealth nor children shall be of any benefit, except one who comes to God with a sound heart” [Qur’an 26:88-89]

So have we tried our best to purify our heart during this blessed month? Do we long to attain a sound heart? Or we just don't care, do we?

Footnotes:-
[1] Purification of the Heart, page 191, Hamza Yusuf, Starlatch Press 2004
[2] Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 31, Number 128: Volume 3, Book 31, Number 128:
[3] Purification of the Heart, page 192, Hamza Yusuf, Starlatch Press 2004

p/s: sorry for keeping this blog dormant for a long time.

Why Not Dating Dulu Baru Kahwin?

There is a glossary at the end of this article on certain scientific terms and Malay terms which may help the reader to understand this article better. Note that words that are colored with blue are scientific terms that are further explained in the glossary.

When you hear about "kahwin dulu, baru dating", probably in your mind you will be thinking about a guy with a kopiah 24 hours on his head marrying a girl who wear the tudung labuh or even a niqaab, better known as purdah at Malaysia. Your first instinct will also probably be, "I pray, I fast, I wear tudung, but I am not these extreme 'alim people. I need to get to know my partner for life inside out. So, I need to date him, to know whether we are serasi or not." I perfectly understand your concern. I understand that you are not 'crazy' enough to just jump into a marriage without knowing who your partner really is. So in the end, this kahwin dulu baru dating trend becomes an exclusive thing among people who are active in dakwah and jemaah, while the muslim masses are walking together holding hands or 'hanging out' at restaurants at KLCC, Mid Valley, etc. Some of these people are perhaps incurable, but I believe some just don't get how kahwin dulu baru dating can actually work. I will try my best to show you intellectually that kahwin dulu baru dating should not be an exclusive thing among the 'extreme pious people', in fact every rational person should embrace it. I will also try to point out that romantic love is hogwash in supposedly spotting the ideal partner for a long-lasting marriage.

Firstly, I have heard about people mocking about those who had successful marriage through matchmake as just being 'lucky'. To set the record straight, according to National Geographic, the divorce rate of the Western world which embraces total romantic love is around 50 to 60% - a healthy percentage indeed! So, even if you start your marriage with romantic love, the probability for it to last untill death-do-you-apart is less than half. I would like to call upon those ardent defenders of romantic love to pause for awhile and enjoy this statistics before proceeding to conjure some pseudo theories about the advantages of having romantic love - you can't fool the figures. I would say that the western society has 1001 flaws in keeping a safe household and those 'other factors' surely contribute to the statistics, but the fact still remain that romantic love fails to spot these people's partner for life. According to a study done by Utusan Malaysia, our country also has a divorce rate of 54% and our society is practically westernised with majority embracing romantic love - although maybe not the type that ends up on the bed. So it's the same old story, statistics wise.

Some people say we need to know whether we have 'chemistry' through countless dates, hang outs, and spending a lot of time together. Going through a person's 'CV', peer opinion or recommendation, observing her/him in public, and a brief get-to-know session are just not enough. We know that during this courting period, everyone pijak semut pon tak mati, and you will always forgive your partner's shortcoming no matter how big they are, simply because you are madly in love. How many times have we heard about glitch-free Pakwe 1.0 who eventually turned into Husband 1.0 with lots of viruses and trojan horses? Also note that I am not saying go into a marriage with someone you know you don't like, but I am saying you don't need these romantic craps to know a person through and through. The fact is you won't really know a person unless you live, eat, and sleep with him or her.

I wonder how Amazon.com can make big bucks, if everyone really insist in browsing through a book before buying it. Worst still, this book has a lot of pages written in magic invisible ink that will only show up after you buy it! So you never really know what you are buying. What if good reviews, high-praise critics, and best sellers are not enough for one to make a decision to buy a book? I admit that drawing an analogy between life partner with a book just doesn't make sense at all. Let's get scientific. So what really is this thing called love? Anthropologist Helen Fisher, a professor at Rutgers University, has conducted an extensive research on the biochemical pathways of love in all its manifestations: lust, romance, attachment, the way they start and wane, etc. Here is part of what her research is about:-

"After doing MRI on the brain of two lovers - they had been 'madly in love' for seven months during that time - she found out that parts of brain linked up to reward and pleasure - the ventral tegnmental area and the caudate nucleus- lit up. What excited Fisher most was not so much finding a location, an address, for love as tracing its specific chemical pathways. Love lights up the caudate nucleus because it is home to a dense spread of receptors for a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which Fisher came to think of as part of our own endogenous love potion. In the right proportions, dopamine creates intense energy, exhilaration, focused attention, and motivation to win rewards. It is why, when you are newly in love, you can stay up all night, watch the sun rise, run a race, ski fast down a slope ordinarily too steep for your skill. Love makes you bold, makes you bright, makes you run real risks, which you sometimes survive, and sometimes you don't." [The Chemistry of Love, National Geographic]

Sounds familiar? Mind you that mentally-ill people also shows high amount of dopamine in their brain, and scientists cannot tell apart one who is mentally-ill and one who is 'madly in love' by just MRIing their brains. Cool, right? The meaning of 'madly in love' is more real than what we think of, as the brain chemistry of infatuation is indeed akin to mental illness. Tak heran la, pijak semut pon tak mati, lautan api pon akan ku redah, dan gunung tinggi mana pon akan ku daki. Do you think an orang gila can make a sound judgement? The fact is, when you are in deep romantic obsession, you just want to win rewards from your partner due to the excessive dopamines, not objectively finding faults in him or her as you claim. Of course nobody is perfect, there is no point in finding every faults in your partner, and supposedly marriage is about reconciling differences and accepting the fact that your partner is another human being, inescapable from making mistakes. What I am stressing here is that dating and hanging out serve only one perpose: indulging in your nafs, not finding the right partner. How can something that is similar to mental-illness becomes a reliable way to make your decision of a lifetime? So am I still not convincing? Let's hear further what Dr. Helen Fischer has to say about the chemistry of love:-

"Most scientist who studied love, divide it into three segments: lust, romantic obsession, and attachment. The first stage of it which is lust which is actually the sex drive. One of the things that men like about women is their waist to hip ratio, which according to scientists, the desirable waist to hip ratio is point seven. woman are attracted to man with broad shoulders and rugged features, all showing a great deal of testosterone. The second stage of love is romantic passion, and the same chemcals are involved when a person is in love is when they are high on Amphetamine [dopamine stimulus] , and the scientists are speculating that it ends after about four years, and that's because that is the amount of time that it takes for a human baby to become 'viable'. And two things happen, either the couple separate or they stay together in long term relationship. That third stage is called attachment and there is a different chemical in brain that is involved in a long-term relationship, which is called oxytocin, and that causes one to feel very calm and soothe. Emily and Brian of Ohio had been married for 60 years and have twenty children. They were to me sort of perfect example of this long-term relationship attachment." [The Chemistry of Love, National Geographic]

So, according to scientists, this romantic passion can only last at maximum for four years, but they don't quite know why yet - biology is always vague. Some say that the human body just can't stand the state of high in dopamine for so long because it deteriorates the body, while some gave the theory that four years is the maximum time span for a couple to have their first baby, so they need to get 'serious'. Whatever it is, no wonder a lot of people complain that their once glitch-free Pakwe 1.0 turned into Husband 1.0 with lots of viruses and trojan horses. Another thing to point out is that couples who are in long-term relationship show high amount of oxytocin in their brains, which is a totally different chemical from dopamine. Oxytocin is also present when you have good relationships with your parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. So what makes a relationship last long is this feeling of attachment to your partner like you have for your parents, friends, and family, not the romantic passion during courtship. It is interesting to note that oxytocin causes one to feel very calm and soothe, while dopamine creates intense energy, exhilaration, focused attention, and motivation to win rewards. There is no similarity at all between these two chemicals; in fact, their purposes are actually the opposite to each other. So only a fool would think that romantic passion is the mechanism that should be used to find a suitable partner. It is like trying to use a hammer to cut your finger nail.

"And those who say: "Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of those who have Taqwa.'' [Qur'an 25:74]

Is qurrota a'yun (comfort of our eyes) mentioned in the Qur'an, the feeling of calm and soothe (triggered by oxytocin) that is presence when a relationship is based on attachment? Finally, let's listen to what Jody Cobb, the photographer of National Geographic magazine who wrote the article The Chemistry of Love, has to say about her impossible task: Photographing love:-

"I didn't want to just photograph weddings, that I think is what is expected. I didn't want to do a valentine, I didn't want to do a hallmark card. The notion of love because anyone who has ever really been in love knows that, that's not the reality. So I was very much interested to show real life and cultures all over the world. And women are becoming educated and wanting to make their own choices in mate selection, things are changing really fast. And just like in the West, where we trully believe in love and romance and happily ever after, we still have a 50-60% divorce rate." [The Chemistry of Love, National Geographic]

It is pretty clear now that dating baru kahwin doesn't come even close to ensure a happily-ever-after relationship. Ironically, those 'extreme 'alim people' are the ones who understand real love and real life, not those Casanovas. Do note that I am not saying if you kahwin dulu baru dating then your marriage will last forever, but if you dating dulu baru kahwin then you are doom to failure. I am simply pointing out that romantic passion has nothing to do about spoting the 'right person' in your life. It is also true that incompatibility may happen between two persons, like there is just no chemistry between the two of you. The point is, you don't need to go on countless hang outs to spot that. You don't need to overload your neuropathways with excessive dopamine to find the supposedly elusive chemistry. It is common sense: You sit down and talk with a person for 15 minutes and you'll know whether you can get along with that person or not. I am talking in general, meaning even with a stranger who you want to make him as your friend, not just your life partner. As for the opposite gender, more than that, you are just indulging in your nafs. Of course, if you are still in doubt, go through the person's 'CV', find peer opinion or recommendation about that person, observe her/him in public, and so on and so forth, as long as it is according to the syariah. Whatever you do, don't get mentally-ill. In the end, you still have to ride all the gelora after the romantic passion dies out and you dah kahwin - Husband 1.0 and Wife 1.0. Last piece of advice: Ride them with oxytocin, not dopamine, ok? Above all, bring along taqwa, inshaAllah it will be pretty smooth sailing.

"I love you because of your religion. If you let go of your religion, then I have to let go of my love for you" Imam Nawawi.

Glossary:

Scientific terms:

Neurotransmitters - are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate electrical signals between a neuron (brain/nervous system cells) and another cell.

Dopamine - Dopamine is a neurotrasmitter and it has many functions in the brain. Most importantly, dopamine is central to the reward system. Dopamine is commonly associated with the pleasure system of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate a person proactively to perform certain activities. Dopamine is released by naturally rewarding experiences such as food and sex. Disruption to the dopamine system has also been strongly linked to psychosis and schizoprenia, with abnormally high dopamine action apparently leading to these conditions. Now you can see the link between sex/romantic passion and psychosis.

Oxytocin - Oxytocin is a mamalian hormone that also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. In the brain, oxytocin is involved in social recognition and bonding, and might be involved in the formation of trust between people. Oxytocin is also an important hormone for women for various reasons, but in this article I am focusing on the function of oxytocin in the brain.

MRI - MRI stands for Magnetic resonance imaging, which is a non-invasive method used to render images of the inside of an object. In this particular case, it is used to render images inside of the brain.

Malay terms:

kahwin dulu baru dating - A loose translation would be: Marriage first, only then comes dating.

dating dulu baru kawhin - A loose translation would be: Dating first, only then comes marriage

tudung - hijab

serasi - compatible

pijak semut pon tak mati - Literally it means: Even if you step on an ant, the ant won’t die. What it actually means is someone who control his behavior to give a false, good impression during dating.

pakwe - boyfriend

Tak heran la, pijak semut pon tak mati, lautan api pon akan ku redah, dan gunung tingga mana pon akan ku daki - Literally it means: No wonder he steps on an ant, the ant won’t die, and he will say, “I will cross a fiery ocean for your sake, I will climb the tallest mountain for your sake.” I guess you get the meaning already

dah kawin - already married

References:
1. Slater, Lauren. The Chemistry of Love. National Geographic Magazine, February 2006
2. Fisher, Helen. Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love. Henry Holt and Company, 2004.

Remembrance of Death

Ibn Mas'ud reported: The Prophet s.a.w. drew up a square and in the middle of it he drew a line, the end of which jutted out beyond the square. Further across the middle line, he drew a number of smaller lines. Then he s.a.w. said, "The figure represents man and the encircling square is the death which is encompassing him. The middle line represents his desires and the smaller lines are vicissitudes of life. If one of those misses him, another distresses him, and if that one misses him, he falls victim to another." [Al-Bukhari]

Commentary: To sum up, man is ever closer to the border line of death and not supposed to remain unprepared for it. There is no end to wishful thinking and, therefore, he should not adopt a careless attitude towards the inescapable death in the pursuit of illusionary hopes. The best course for him is to remain ever-ready for his exit from the worldly stage. [Riyad us-saliheen with commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, page 510]



Remembering death checks us from over-indulging in worldly pleasures

Abu Hurairah reported: Messenger of Allah said, "Remember more often the destroyer of pleasures - death." [Al-Tirmidhi]

Nobody wants to meet his Lord in a state of banktupt. Therefore, being heedful about death serve as zikr for men from being heedless with worldly pleasures and seductions. Sister Na'ima B. Robert eloquently puts in her book From My Sisters' Lips, "But by far the greatest trial for me and many others was actualizing what is really the essence of Islam--submission. To become Muslim is to become one who submits to the will of Allah. That means ego out, arrogance out, pride out: the self is brought to heel." What better ways for us to understand the real of essence of Islam - submission - than to remember the day we physically submit to God--death? It is indeed fashionable to speak about Islam nowadays. The pseudo intellect of many Muslims quickly spring out when they give their two cents about their religion, especially the socio-politico aspects of it, but these pseudo intellects will rarely touch on the topic of death. Are we infested with the dreadful disease, wahn?

Messenger of Allah said, "Nations will call each other, as people make invitations to a meal, to make a concerted attack on you. Someone asked: ‘Will this happen because of our being small in number?’ God’s Messenger answered: ‘Rather, you will then be great in number, but as powerless as wood-chips or straw carried in a flood. God will remove fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and implant in you fear of death and love of the world."[Abu Dawud, Malahim, 5; I. Hanbal, 5.278.]



The Idolators thought that Resurrection after Death was very unlikely

(Nay, but they say the like of what the men of old said. They said: "When we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we be resurrected indeed'') They thought it very unlikely that this would happen after they had disintegrated into nothing. ("Verily, this we have been promised -- we and our fathers before (us)! This is only the tales of the ancients!'') This means, "It is impossible that we could be brought back. This was said by those who learned it from the books and disputes of the ancients.'' This denial and rejection on their part is like the Ayah where Allah tells us about them: ("Even after we are crumbled bones'' They say: "It would in that case, be a return with loss!'' But it will be only a single Zajrah, When behold, they find themselves on the surface of the earth alive after their death.) [Qur'an: 79:11-14]

[Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Surah al-Mu'minun]



Do you think that life is just a play and you will not be brought back to your Lord?

(In Falsehood will they be) Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: "O my Lord! send me back (to life), In order that I may work righteousness in the things I neglected." - "By no means! It is but a word he says."- Before them is a Partition till the Day they are raised up. Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no more relationships between them that Day, nor will one ask after another! Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy,- they will attain salvation: But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls, in Hell will they abide. The Fire will burn their faces, and they will therein grin, with their lips displaced. "Were not My Signs rehearsed to you, and ye did but treat them as falsehood?" They will say: "our Lord! Our misfortune overwhelmed us, and we became a people astray! "Our Lord! bring us out of this: if ever we return (to Evil), then shall we be wrong-doers indeed!" He will say: "Be ye driven into it (with ignominy)! And speak ye not to Me! "A part of My servants there was, who used to pray 'our Lord! we believe; then do Thou forgive us, and have mercy upon us: For Thou art the Best of those who show mercy!" "But ye treated them with ridicule, so much so that (ridicule of) them made you forget My Message while ye were laughing at them! "I have rewarded them this Day for their patience and constancy: they are indeed the ones that have achieved Bliss..." He will say: "What number of years did ye stay on earth?" They will say: "We stayed a day or part of a day: but ask those who keep account." He will say: "Ye stayed not but a little,- if ye had only known! "Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?" [Qur'an: 23:99-115]



You should not fear nor grieve when the time comes if you...

Imam Ahmad recorded that ‘Ata’ bin As-Sa’ib said, "The first day I saw Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Layla, I saw an old man whose hair had become white on his head and beard. He was riding his donkey and following a funeral. I heard him say, ‘So-and-so narrated to me that he heard the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. say, "He who likes to meet Allah, Allah likes to meet him, and he who hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him."

The people around him started weeping and he asked them why they wept. They said, ‘All of us hate death.’ He s.a.w. said, "It does not mean that. When one dies: (Al-Waqi’ah:88-89) and when his good news is conveyed to him, he likes to meet Allah the Exalted and Most Honored and Allah the Exalted and Most Honored likes, even more, to meet him, (Al-Waqi’ah:92-94) and when this news is conveyed to him he hates to meet Allah and Allah hates, even more, to meet him" (Riwayah Ahmad)

This is the narration that Imam Ahmad collected; and in the Sahih, there is a Hadith with this meaning collected from ‘Aishah.

Allah’s statement, "And if he be of those on the right"(Al-Waqi’ah:90), means, if he, the dying person, is among those on the right, "Then Salam(peace) to you from those on the right" (Al-Waqi’ah: 91) meaning, the angels will deliver the good news to them by saying, "Peace be upon you," i.e., be calm, you will be led to safety, you are among those on the right, as ‘Ikrimah said, "The angels will greet him with the Salam and convey to him the news that he is among those on the right." This is a good explanation, and it conforms with Allah’s statement,

"Those who proclaim: "Our Lord is God," then lead a righteous life, the angels descend upon them: "You shall have no fear, nor shall you grieve. Rejoice in the good news that paradise has been reserved for you. "We are your allies in this life, and in the Hereafter. You will have in it anything you wish for; you will have anything you want. (Such is your) ultimate abode, from a Forgiver, Most Merciful." (Qur’an 41:30-32).

[Tafsir ibn Kathir on Surah al-Waqi’ah]



So what should you do?

'Abdullah bin 'Umar reported: Messenger of Allah took hold of my shoulders and said, "Be in the world like a stranger or a wayfarer." ibn 'umar used to say: When you survive till the evening do not expect to live in the morning; and when you survive till the morning do not expect to live untill the evening. While in good health (do good deeds) before you fall sick; and while you are alive (do good deeds) before death strikes. [Al-Bukhari]

Nanti akhirnya kita mati…

Ok belaja rajin-rajin. Tetapi abang ingat, cari kerja gaji besar bukan tujuan utama.. jadi manager bukan tujuan utama.. jadi CEO bukan tujuan utama.. jadi best student pon bukan segala-galanya.. CGPA tinggi pon bukan tujuan utama kita.. Nanti akhirnya kita mati kita akan jumpa Allah jugak. Bukan la langsong tak aim bende-bende tu, tetapi kene ada balance,” pesan ibuku sebelum mengakhiri perbualan kami melalui telefon.

Sambil tersenyum mendegar kata-kata ibuku, aku membalas, “Ye ma, inshaAllah.”
Aku agak terkejut mendengar pesanan ibuku ini, kerana biasanya beliau akan berkata, “belaja rajin-rajin bagi dapat semua A, bagi dapat cgpa bagus-bagus,” hari ni lain pula. Pada kiraan aku, ini kali pertama beliau berbicara begini denganku.

Walaupun aku berjauhan tetapi aku dapat merasakan bahawa ibuku sudah agak berubah kebelakangan ini. Sesungguhnya zikr kematian membuatkan kita lebih mudah mengingati akan tujuan kita di muka bumi ini. Ia bagaikan penampar yang mengejutkan kita dari belaian mimpi.
Mengingati kematian pula bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah untuk dilakukan. Menziarahi kubur boleh mengingatkan kita akan kematian, tetapi kalau menziarahi kubur Tok Misai, Datuk Kelana, ataupun kubur pakcik kepada makcik kepada pakcik kita, barangkali kesannya tidak sama seperti menziarahi kubur emak kita sendiri contohnya.

Sesungguhnya, kita tidak tahu bagaimana keadaan kita sebelum mati. Se’alim mana pun kita, sewarak mana pon kita, tiada siapa yang boleh menjamin kita akan kekal dalam keadaan begitu taktala malaikat maut menjemput kita. Namun begitu, kita kenalah sentiasa cubaa kekal dalam kebaikan dan sentiasa mendoakan agar memperoleh khusnul khatimah (akhir yang baik).
Lumrah kehidupan, yang tua akan pergi dahulu, yang muda masih mempunyai masa di bumi ini. Tidak dinafikan bahawa ajal boleh datang bila-bila sahaja, tidak mengenal usia, cumanya inilah corak biasa bagi umur hidup manusia.

Corak norma ini ada banyak kelebihannya bagi kita, al-insan, yang sering lalai dan alpa. Taktala umur kita meningkat, semakin kerap akan kita diingatkan dengan pemergian mereka yang tersayang, terutama sekali mereka yang lebih tua dari kita. Ia bagaikan ujian bulanan yang cikgu kita beri, bagi mengingatkan kita supaya sentiasa belajar, agar tidak kantoi semasa peperiksaan akhir tahun nanti. Lebih kurang macam continuous assessment begitu.

Teringat pula kata-kata atukku yang dituturkan dengan berlinangan air mata sebelum aku fly, “Belaja rajin-rajin fik. Jagi diri baik-baik. Jaga agama dekat negara orang tu. Atuk sebak ni bukan kenapa. Adik-beradik atuk, kawan-kawan atuk, dan ramai orang atuk kenal semuanya dah meninggal dunia. Tak tau la atuk dapat jumpa ko lagi ke tak fik bila ko balik nanti. Atuk sebak bila fikirkan ni.” Agaknya ini lah beza orang tua yang banyak pengalaman hidup dengan darah muda yang masih mentah. Alhamdulillah umur atukku sudah mencecah lebih 80 tahun tetapi beliau masih gagah sehinggakan sekarang.

Di kala aku jauh di negara orang ini, ibuku memberi update kepadaku tentang mereka yang aku kenali yang sudah pulang ke rahmatullah. Jika dijadikan satu senarai, boleh dikatakan senarai ini bertambah dengan kadar exponansi sejak kebelakangan ini. Kebanyakannya aku tidak mengenali sangat pon mereka ini, boleh dikatakan kenal gitu-gitu sahaja. Maklum la, biasanya kawan ibuku, kawan keluarga, tok cik tok ngah dan tok tok berjauhan yang pernah aku temu sekali dua sahaja. Kadang-kadang aku sedikit terkejut juga, ada sesetengah tu sihat walafiat sahaja ketika kali terakhir aku berjumpa dengan mereka semasa aku masih di malaysiaa dulu. Tetapi sudah tentu impaknya sangat berbeza kepada ibuku, kerana mereka ini lebih penting baginya dan lebih banyak berkait dengan kehidupannya.

Mengetahui bahawa ajal kita sudah hampir adalah satu kelebihan jika difikirkan dengan lojik akal kerana kita di beri masa untuk bersedia menghadapinya. Namun ia tidaklah semudah itu jika ia berkait dengan mereka yang kita sayangi. Contohnya, jika seorang ibu kehilangan anaknya yang baru berusia 5 bulan, dia sepatutnya agak bergembira kerana anaknya pulang ke rahmatullah dalam keadaan suci dan fitrah. Tidak perlu la si kecil itu mengharungi pelbagai dugaan dunia ini yang sungguh mencabar. Namun begitu, fakta itu tetap tidak boleh menahan air mata si ibu dari mengalir.

Daripada senarai yang aku perkatakan tadi, ramai pula yang meninggal akibat daripada penyakit cancer. Kadang-kala aku berpesan kepada ibuku, “Mama, penyakit cancer ni bagus jugak sebenarnya. At least orang tu tau mungkin ajal dia dah dekat, jadi dia boleh prepare. kan bagus tu.” Memang mudah sungguh bagi aku yang berhati batu ini yang tidak perrnah kehilangan orang tersayang untuk berkata begitu. Lain pula bagi ibuku, yang keluarganya memang banyak juga yang berpenyakit ini. Mungkin wayang yang seakan-akan sebuah filem ngeri yang pernah beliau tonton seketika dahulu seolah-olah sedang bermain semula, tetapi tidak tahu lagi endingnya sama ke tidak. Sama saja sebenarnya, setiap insan akan pulang juga ke rahmatullah.

Belum lagi berbicara tentang watak yang terlibat itu sendiri. Dahulu mungkin hanya menontonya, kini menjadi watak utama pula. Jikalau diteliti dengan kaca mata objektif, bagi aku sungguh indah sebenarnya jika kita diberitahu bila masa kita akan tiba. Bayangkan penjaga periksa yang sudi mengumumkan, “Anda hanya tinggal lagi 10 minit sahaja sebelum waktu peperiksaan tamat. Sila semak semua jawapan anda. Pastikan anda sudah menulis nama dan student id anda di muka ssuratt hadapan.” Tidakah itu lebih baik daripada terus “Sila letakkan pen. Masa sudah tamat.”?

Memang betul aku cakap senang la, jika dugaan sebegitu menimpa aku memang tak mampu aku menghadapinya. Tetapi siapa tahu (Allahu’alam), mungkin aku yang akan pergi dahulu. Wah, rasa tak bersedia lagi pulak. Bila pulak nak bersedia? Nak tunggu apa? Tak mampu pulak nak menjawabnya…

Ikan-Ikan 'Fresh' Salai yang Beracun

"Kita orang melayu teleh diArabkan, bukan di Islamkan sebenarnya. Orang Arab memang kerkena dangan bermacam-macam. Sekarang melayu telah terikut-ikut dan ter-terArabnya.
Ada kemungkinan kita orang telah silap fahami agama. Tersilap taksir mungkinnya. Bagi saya, janganlah nampak sangat alim orang nya tapi hati nafsu marak seperti gunung nak meletup dan fikiran macam syaitan.

Satu contoh yg sangat baik betul-betul berlaku di Indonesia:-
Satu kumpulan National Geography pergi ke satu kampung dalaman di Indonesia dimana orang asli situ tidak berpakaian. Sampai sana dan jumpa orang aslinya yang anehnya semua orang hanya pandang kawan NG dari Arab. Tau mengapa? Sebenarnya kebanyakan ahli NG biasa tengok perempuan dan yang bogel termasuk pegawai dari Indonesia. Tapi ahli dari Arab tak biasa tengok perempuan dan bogel pulak. Jadi adik ahli Arab naik menuju ke langit. Seluar yang ketat pun tak dapat melindungi dia. Ini sebenarnya memberitahu kita kalau kita orang selalu memilih untuk mengelakkan sesuatu dan tak berani face on matters, kita silap.
Orang asli di Indonesia biasa dah bogel sejak dulu sampai hari ini. Dalam hati mereka sangat mulia dan tak ada fikiran kotor. Tapi bagi orang asing yang tak pernah tengok perempuan, lain pulak cerita.

Satu contoh yg berlaku di Kuala Terengganu:–
Seorang guru cina telah ditugaskan untuk mengajar di Terengganu. Guru cina tu dah biasa pakai skirt pendek di kota. Dia telah dinasihatkan oleh guru-guru cina tempatan supaya pakai skirt yang panjang sebab murid-murid tempatan tak biasa. So guru cina baru pun memilih skirt yang panjang sikit sampai ke lutut dan pergi mengajar pada keesokan pagi. Kamu semua tau tak apa berlaku? Kebanyakan murid lelaki hanya tengok skirt dekat lutut guru tu dan ada yang turun kepala untuk tengok apa kah dalam skirt tu. Apa berlaku? sama-sama fikir…."
(Melayu Liberal)

Manusia ini memang suka akan generalisation jika ia memenuhi kepentingan kita. Sebab itu kita suka sangat akan teori pseudo dan berita-berita angin yang belum pasti akan kebenaranya. Ramai juga muslim masa kini yang memilih arus pemikiran dan cara hidup barat yang mengindulge nafsu masing-masing mengatasi cara Islam yang mengajak kita bermujahadah melawan nafsu. Usahlah kita bersembunyi di sebalik topeng-topeng lojik akal bagi menglegitimate kehendak nafsu rakus kita. Sudah tentu berbuat baik itu lebih susah daripada berbuat jahat.

Nafsu tertakluk kepada semua orang tanpa mengira bangsa, warna kulit, atau agama. Orang NG ke, orang arab ke, orang asli ke, sama sahaja kerana ia in the genetics. Cuma beza antara setiap individu dalam bab ini ialah kemampuan mengawal nafsu itu. Dekat sini (penulis berkelana di Canada - negara asal orang-orang NG), cikgu pakai skirt juga seperti cikgu cina di Kuala Terengganu itu, tetapi murid-murid memang tak jakun sebab girlfriend dierang pon pakai skirt macam tu juga dan dierang selalu pon buat benda haram dangan girlfriend dierang. Tambahan pula hardcore pornography ditayangkan di saluran televisyen perdana di waktu primetime secara terang-terangan, jadi siapa la yang berminat nak jakun-jakun bila cikgu dierang pakai skirt pendek mana pon. Tetapi ini tidak membuatkan mereka lebih mulia, apatah lagi untuk memilih jalan ini sebagai jalan penyelesaian.

Tiada asas kepada teori selalu terdedah kepada aurat dan benda-benda haram lain akan condition manusia kepada lebih open-minded dan kurang ‘jakun’. Ingin saya petik satu analogi yang dinukilkan oleh Ustaz Zaharuddin bagi memudahkan penjelasan tentang isu ini:-

"Ye la, bila orang lelaki yang dah naik syahwatnya tu, kerana kecantikan peha wanita tu contohnya, mestilah terganggu syahwatnya, lalu terdetik keinginan seksualnya secara tidak terkawal..”

”Kerana itu saya katakan berpakaian seksi adalah suatu bentuk gangguan seksual kepada orang lelaki di sekelilingnya”

“Cuba bayangkan, kucing yang lapar diacah-acah dengan ikan ‘fresh’ yang digoyang-goyangkan di hadapannya tentu geram kucing tu, malah silap haribulan, tentu diterkamnya muka orang yang mengacah juga”

“Tapi perlu diingat, tak semua kucing akan terkam, hanya yang amat lapar dan liar je, demikian juga lelaki, tak semua lelaki gagal kawal nafsunya, tetapi tak dinafikan bahawa ramai juga yang gagal dan liar”[1]

Kalau seekor kucing itu sudah kenyang, 24 jam dapat makan ikan ‘fresh’ dari tuanya, bila dia diacah-acah dengan seekor ikan ‘fresh’ di hadapan matanya sudah tentulah dia pejam mata buat don't know sahaja. Tetapi memberi kucing makan 24 jam ikan 'fresh' bukan satu cara penyelesaian kerana ikan-ikan ‘fresh’ haram itu semua berdosa besar kalau makan. Orang-orang NG yang Melayu Liberal anggap mulia sangat tu dah tiap-tiap hari bergelumang dengan dosa itu, orang arab itu pula baru ingin mencuba pertama kali. Sama sahaja mereka ni sebenarnya.

Tak perlu la kita berpura-pura di sini bahawa nafsu lelaki ini boleh dihapuskan dngan menyuruh atau membenarkan wanita bogel tiap-tiap hari di khalayak ramai seperti orang-orang asli itu ataupun seperti wanita-wanita barat yang memakai pakaian serupa macam tidak pakai langsung. Ia sama sepeti kita mengatakan: "Bagi penagih-penagih dadah tu dadah tiap-tiap hari dan masalah ketagihan akan dapat diselesaikan - we are facing the matter like this. Kalau masukkan dia dalam pusat serenti dan ajar dia supaya kawal ketagihannya nanti dia keluar pusat serenti dia ambik dadah balik juga kan? Jadi baik bagi dia dadah tanpa henti, senang cerita, selesai masalah."

Analoginya, boleh la kita selesaikan masalah ketagihan dadah dengan memberi si ketagih, dadah secara non-stop a.k.a. pendedahan aurat meleluasa. Cumanya kita terima bahawa dadah itu tak bagus kerana kita tahu si ketagih itu akan mati jika kita berbuat demikian. Oleh itu, memberi dadah non-stop sebagai cara penyelesaian memang out of the question la. Persoalannya, adakah kita terima bahawa seks bebas dan awrat wanita bukan mahram itu tak bagus juga? Benda-benda ni tak mati dan tiada kesan mudarat segara kalau 'digunakan' tiap-tiap hari pon (tak seperti dadah), jadi mungkin ramai yang keliru akan mudaratnya benda-benda ini. Hanya mereka yang benar-benar mengimani akan hari akhirat dan panasnya azab api neraka baru boleh nampak magnitud kesalahan benda ini semacam atau lebih teruk dari ketagihan dadah. Itu pon Allah sudah membantu kita dengan adanya kemudaratan sejak di muka bumi ini lagi dalam bentuk penyakit AIDS dan penyakit-penyaikit seksual lain.

Usahlah kita menipu diri sendiri dengan mengatakan kita boleh mewujudkan society yang penuh dengan wanita 'terbogel' di kawasan awam tanpa perlu adanya pergaulan seks bebas seperti di negara-negara barat. Kiranya mengambil jalan tengah begitu: Zina haram tetapi pendedahan awrat dan zina mata halal, malahan dikatakan pendedahan awrat dan zina mata ini boleh membanteras zina! Mana-mana manusia berfikiran waras tahu bahawa ini idea gila yang dipelopori oleh orang-orang yang cuba menggunakan akal untuk menglegitimate nafsu rakus mereka. Jikalau anda menginginkan kehidupan tanpa agama - boleh buat seks bebas tiap-tiap hari, boleh tengok kecantikan wanita in all its splendour tiap-tiap hari, dan sebagainya - maka memang tak perlu kita terapkan iman dalam dada. Kalau benar kita rasa tak salah menghidang ikan-ikan 'fresh' ini, silalah ikut cadangan cara penyelesaian saudara Melayu Liberal itu.

Betul ke claim orang yang terbiasa dengan pendedahan awrat ini "Dalam hati mereka sangat mulia dan tak ada fikiran kotor"? Bagaimana pula dengan pandangan pihak yang hendak dijadikan The Meat Market?

"Sometimes I watch a guy walk past a girl and he'll turn back and look at her legs or her chest and I just think, I would hate that to happen to me. It doesn't appeal to me. It's not flattering, I can't understand how that can make a woman happy. To me, it's nicer when a Muslim brother passes by me and looks down. To me, that is more respectful than someone whistling at my legs," sister Rabia (beliau tinggal di London). [From My Sisters' Lips, m/s 125]

Sudah tentu ada wanita yang berbangga apabila mendedah sana-sini dan lelaki yang matanya sentiasa liar mencari daging percuma, tetapi bukanlah spesies ini yang diakatakan "Dalam hati mereka sangat mulia dan tak ada fikiran kotor."

Sekarang ini memang ramai muslim yg akhlak runtuh dan iman entah kemana, jadi bila diacah ikan ‘fresh’ di depan mata mereka terus menerpanya. Tak perlu la nak bagi 1001 contoh orang yang macam alim tetapi mereka ni sebenarnya korup untuk membuktikan teori pseudo Melayu Liberal yang jelas-jelas hanya merupakan teori yang direka kerana otak sudah ditakluk nafsu. Penyelesaiannya tetap mengajar orang ramai agama dan tanamkan sifat taqwa. Memang la jalan ini lagi susah daripada jalan yang Melayu Liberal cadangkan. What is wrong is still wrong, you don’t change it into something right just because it is an easy way out or just because it suites your whims.

Akhir sekali, inilah etika pergaulan dan batas pergaulan antara lelaki dan perempuan menurut Islam:-

1.Menundukkan pandangan:ALLAH memerintahkan kaum lelaki untukmenundukkan pandangannya, sebagaimana firman-NYA; Katakanlah kepada laki-laki yangberiman: Hendaklah mereka menahan pandangannya dan memelihara kemaluannya. (an-Nuur: 30)Sebagaimana hal ini juga diperintahkan kepadakaum wanita beriman, ALLAH berfirman; Dankatakanlah kepada wanita yangberiman: Hendaklah mereka menahan pandangannya dan memelihara kemaluannya. (an-Nuur: 31)

2.Menutup Aurat;ALLAH berfirman dan jangan lah mereka mennampakkan perhiasannya, kecuali yang biasa nampak daripadanya. Dan hendaklah mereka melabuhkan kain tudung ke dadanya. (an-Nuur: 31) Juga Firman-NYA; Hai nabi, katakanlah kepadaisteri-isterimu, anak-anak perempuanmu dan isteri-isteri orang mukmin: Hendaklah mereka melabuhkan jilbabnya ke seluruh tubuh mereka.Yang demikian itu supaya mereka lebih mudah dikenali, kerana itu mereka tidak diganggu. Dan ALLAH adalah Maha Pengampun lagi MahaPenyayang. (an-Nuur: 59). Perintah menutup aurat juga berlaku bagi semua jenis. Dari Abu Daud Said al-Khudri r.a. berkata:Rasulullah SAW bersabda: Janganlah seseorang lelaki memandang aurat lelaki, begitu juga dengan wanita jangan melihat aurat wanita.

3.Adanya pembatas antara lelakidengan wanita; Kalau ada sebuah keperluan terhadap kaum yang berbeza jenis, harus disampaikan dari balik tabir pembatas.Sebagaimana firman-NYA; Dan apabila kalian meminta sesuatu kepada mereka (para wanita) maka mintalah dari balik hijab. (al-Ahzaab: 53)

4.Tidak berdua-duaan Di Antara Lelaki Dan Perempuan; Dari Ibnu Abbas r.a. berkata: Saya mendengar Rasulullah SAW bersabda: Janganlah seorang lelaki berdua-duaan (khalwat) dengan wanita kecuali bersama mahramnya. (Hadis RiwayatBukhari & Muslim) Dari Jabir bin Samurah berkata; Rasulullah SAW bersabda: Janganlah salah seorang dari kalian berdua-duan dengan seorang wanita, kerana syaitan akan menjadi ketiganya. (Hadis RiwayatAhmad & Tirmidzi dengan sanad yang sahih)

5.Tidak Melunakkan Ucapan(Percakapan):Seorang wanita dilarang melunakkan ucapannya ketika berbicara selain kepada suaminya. Firman ALLAH SWT; Hai isteri-isteri Nabi, kamu sekalian tidaklah seperti wanita yang lain, jika kamu bertakwa. Maka janganlah kamu tunduk dalam berbicara (berkata-kata yang menggoda) sehingga berkeinginan orang yang ada penyakit di dalam hatinya tetapi ucapkanlah perkataan-perkataan yang baik. (al-Ahzaab: 32) Berkata Imam Ibnu Kathir; Ini adalah beberapa etika yang diperintahkan oleh ALLAH kepada paraisteri Rasulullah SAW serta kepada para wanita mukminah lainnya, iaitu hendaklah dia kalau berbicara dengan orang lain tanpa suara merdu,dalam pengertian janganlah seorang wanita berbicara dengan orang lain sebagaimana dia berbicara dengan suaminya. (Tafsir Ibnu Kathir 3/350)

6.Tidak Menyentuh Kaum Berlawanan Jenis;Dari Maqil bin Yasar r.a. berkata; Seandainya kepala seseorang ditusuk dengan jarum besi itu masih lebih baik daripada menyentuh kaum wanita yang tidak halal baginnya. (Hadis Hasan Riwayat Thabrani dalam Mujam Kabir)Berkata Syaikh al-Abani Rahimahullah; Dalam hadis ini terdapat ancaman keras terhadap orang-orang yang menyentuh wanita yang tidak halal baginya. (Ash-Shohihah 1/448) Rasulullah SAW tidak pernah menyentuh wanita meskipun dalam saat-saat penting seperti membaiat dan lain-lainnya. Dari Aishah berkata; Demi ALLAH,tangan Rasulullah tidak pernah menyentuh tangan wanita sama sekali meskipun saat membaiat.(Hadis Riwayat Bukhari)

Inilah sebahagian etika pergaulan lelaki dan wanita selain mahram, yang mana apabila seseorang melanggar semuanya atau sebahagiannya sajaakan menjadi dosa zina baginya, sebagaimana sabda Rasulullah SAW; Dari Abu Hurairah r.a. dari Rasulullah SAW bersabda: Sesungguhnya ALLAH menetapkan untuk anak adam bahagiannya dari zina, yang pasti akan mengenainya. Zina mata dengan memandang, zina lisan dengan berbicara, sedangkan jiwa berkeinginan serta berangan-angan, lalu farji yang akan membenarkan atau mendustakan semuanya. (Hadis Riwayat Bukhari,Muslim & Abu Daud)Padahal ALLAH SWT telah melarang perbuatan zina dan segala sesuatu yang boleh mendekati kepada perbuatan zina. Sebagaimana Firman-NYA; Dan janganlah kamu mendekati zina,sesungguhnya zina itu adalah suatu perbuatan yang keji dan jalan yang buruk. (al-Isra: 32)


Tidak perlu la kita mengikut Melayu Liberal dalam hal ini...


Dan tidaklah patut bagi laki-laki yang mu’min dan tidak bagi perempuan yang mu’min, apabila Allah dan Rasul-Nya telah menetapkan suatu ketetapan, akan ada bagi mereka pilihan tentang urusan mereka. Dan barangsiapa mendurhakai Allah dan Rasul-Nya maka sungguhlah dia telah sesat, sesat yang nyata.(QS. Al-Ahzab : 36 )


p/s: Bukan mudah untuk kekal berada di jalan yang benar. Penulis menulis bagi memesan TERUTAMANYA kepada diri penulis sendiri kemudian kepada pembaca sekalian.


[1] Aurat : Apa Sudah Jadi?, Ust Hj Zaharuddin Hj Abd Rahman, http://www.zaharuddin.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=288&Itemid=72

If Truth Be On...

Never do I argue with a man with a desire to hear him say what is wrong, or to expose him and win victory over him. Whenever I face an opponent in debate I silently pray - "O Allah, help him so that truth may flow from his heart and on his tongue, and so that if truth is on my side, he may follow me; and if truth be on his side, I may follow him."
(Imam Al-Shafi'e)

How many times have we debated and quarrel with other people because of our ego and other unlawful desires? May our intention be clear each time we open our mouth to object about something, because the truth may not be on our side! Even if it is on our side, then are we trying to convince our opponent about the truth that we have or are we trying to crush him and prove him wrong? May Allah guides us.

Abu' Umamah Al-Bahili reported: Messenger of Allah said: "I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a home in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even for the sake of fun; and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good manners." (Riwayah Abu Dawud)

Rak-rak Buku di Bumi Toronto

Kini aku berada di rumah pakcik Mohd Noor di Missisauga (surburb Toronto) kerana aku sudah ditendang keluar dari residence aku tetapi tarikh flight aku belum tiba lagi. Aku merempat di rumah orang la kira, tetapi rasa macam rumah sendiri pula kerana Pakcik Mohd Noor sekeluarga layan aku macam aku sebahagian daripada keluarga mereka sahaja. Suasana kawasan rumah beliau sungguh indah sekali. Neighborhood kawasan ini sungguh tenteram, jauh berbeza dengan downtown Toronto yang sungguh sibuk dan sesak itu. Aku juga mendapat hidangan masakan melayu yang sungguh enak tiap-tiap hari di sini (rasa macam dah sampai Malaysia pulak). Rumah beliau hanya 10 minutes sahaja dari sebuah masjid yang bernama Masjid al-Farouq. Di Toronto ni masjid memang banyak macam cendawan walaupun Canada bukan sebuah negara islam.

Pada malam sabtu lepas kami pergi ke masjid bagi mengikuti Ceramah Tafsir Ibn Kathir. Aku dapati tidak ramai yang mengikuti ceramah ini, bilangannya boleh dibilang sahaja (tajuk tak menarik barangkali). Jelas kelihatan imam masjid tersebut juga agak hampa dengan jumlah orang yang hadir hanya sedikit pada hari tersebut. Faktor utama sambutan menghamparkan ini ialah kerana kerumitan masa maghrib yang lewat. Kebanyakan orang datang lepas maghrib ceramah pula bermula sebelum maghrib. Ceramah diteruskan juga dengan tafsir bagi surah al-an’am ayat 150 hingga 157. Kemudian waktu solat maghrib tiba, ceramah dihentikan, dan azan dilaungkan.

Selepas azan, semakin ramai jema’ah datang ke masjid bagi menghadiri solat maghrib. Sudah tentu ramai yang solat sunat rawatib dua raka’at sebelum maghrib. Aku perhatikan ramai jema’ah berbangsa pakistan , bangladesh , dan india , dan aku bilang mereka bermazhab hanafi. Ini kerana mereka tidak mengangkat tangan ke bahu atau telinga selepas bangun dari rukuk dan sebelum turun ke sujud, dan mereka tidak mengerak-gerakan jari ketika tasyahud juga. Tidak mungkin la mereka ini salafi dan orang dari south asia by default selalunya hanafi la.

Setelah selesai solat maghrib, imam ada sedikit perbincangan bersama AJK masjid, jadi ada sedikit masa sebelum ceramah tafsir bersambung. Aku pon mengambil masa ini untuk melihat buku-buku yang ada di rak buku masjid. Mula-mula aku scan through tajuk-tajuk buku yang ada di rak tersebut: The Prophet’s Prayer Described by Syaikh al-Albaani, Mukhtasar Zad al-Ma’ad by ibn Qayyim, Fiqh Sunnah by Syed Sabiq, Aqidah of the Salaf, Kitab al-Tawheed by Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab, The Truth about Sufism, etc. Belum sempat aku membelek buku-buku di rak tersebut, ceramah tafsir pun bersambung. Semakin hampir masa untuk hidangan nasi briyani semakin ramai pula orang datang. Pelik sungguh.

Aku teringat imam tersebut menjawab pertanyaan tentang animal fat bukan zabeha used in soap. Ini kerana semasa pengajian tafsir ada menyentuh hadith tentang ‘dead animals are haram to eat.’ Kiranya ia berkaitan dengan bangkai dan cara membunuh binatang dengan menggunakan electric shock, bukan sembelih. Syaikh tu kata haram kalau animal fat (Beef fat la. Pork memang sah sah la haram.) yang buat soap tu dari binatang yang bukan zabehah. Tetapi dia kata dekat sini tak pasti sembelih ke tak jadi syubhah. Penyelesaian, cari yang dibuat dari plant fat, boleh pereksa produk mana halal secara online. Masih segar dalam ingatanku syaikh tu kata, “According to mazhab hanafi…” semasa beliau memberi jawapan. Tidak hairan la pon sebab majoriti jema’ah bermazhab hanafi.

Setelah kenyang makan briyani dan solat isha’ aku pon bersembang seketika dengan Pakcik Mohd Noor. “Masjid ni penuh dengan buku salaf, takda pulak buku mazhab hanafi. Pelik jugak”, ujarku. Aku dapati buku fiqh popular hanafi, Muwatta’ of Imam Muhammad pon tidak ada dekat rak buku itu. “Memang la. Syaikh bagi ceramah tadi tu pon dulu belaja dalam bidang hadith dari Universiti Madinah. Tetapi ada jugak imam-imam lain. Orang somali pon ada jadi imam. Orang somali ni macam kita sikit. Dierang baca pon bunyi macam orang melayu kadang-kadang.”

Ramai rakan somali yang aku kenali memang bermazhab syafi’e, jadi tidak hairan la kebanyakan mereka ‘macam kita’ mengikut kata beliau. Terkejut juga aku mendengar syaikh bagi ceramah tadi dari University Madinah. Teringat aku syaikh tu kata, “According to mazhab hanafi…” semasa beliau mengulas hukum animal fat tu. Sudah tentu syaikh tu tahu latar belakang penyoal itu majoriti jema’ah di masjid itu…

Aku pon ambil buku The Truth About Sufism dari rak buku tersebut an membacanya. Sambil memerhatikan tajuk buku yang sedang aku baca, pakcik Mohd Noor pon berkata, “Kalau ikut dierang ni jangan datang R.I.S.” R.I.S. ialah ringkasan bagi Revival of Islamic Spirit, iaitu sebuah conference islam terbesar semasa winter di Toronto. Biasanya lebih kurang 10 000 orang dari seluruh North America ke conference ini. Beliau menambah lagi, “Dierang kata dekat R.I.S. tu ada syaikh sufi mengarut. Pakcik kata sudah la, pakcik pergi je.”

Aku sangat setuju dengan beliau. RIS 2006 yg aku hadiri sangat menarik bagiku. Banyak juga aku belajar tentang khulafa’ ar-rasyidin, sirah nabawi, dan pelbagai lagi. Sudah tentu ada tasawuff, tetapi bukan la mereka ajak join Nashqabandi ke, mengajar wahdatul wujud ke apa. Malahan, a da juga beberapa mat salleh mengucap shahadah di atas pentas semasa mengikuti conference tersebut. Barangkali ada lagi yang revert masa itu tetapi malu untuk naik pentas. Apa lah dengan sikap boycott memboycott ni… Kan ada misi dakwah yang lagi besar di sini selain dari boycott sesama sendiri.

Semasa di basement rumah pakcik Mohd Noor, aku scan through rak buku beliau pula. Ada buku Fiqh Islam, Cara Solat Jama’ dan Kasar Mengikut Mazhab Syafi’e, dan banyak lagi buku-buku islam dalam bahasa malaysia dan indonesia. Memerhatikan gerangan aku, pakcik Mohd Noor pon berkata, “Pakcik selalu kalau balik Singapore bawak balik (bawak balik ke Canada) buku-buku ni. Kalau orang balik singapore pon pakcik suruh kirim apa-apa je la buku islam dari sana .”

Aku pon berkata, “Dekat sini pon banyak buku Islam, cuma dalam English la. Dekat Danforth tu macam-macam ada.”

Beliau berkata, “Tahu. Cuma pakcik lagi senang la dengan buku dari sana . Sini macam-macam ada. Semua jenis buku ada. Syi’ah ada, ahmadiah pon ada, karang takut tersilap baca pulak. Kalau buku kita tu kira kita tau la ada jabatan agama tapis.”

Aku menjawab, “Betul jugak. Tetapi buku-buku dekat masjid tu biasanya ok la.”

Kemudian beliau cerita tentang orang-orang masjid yang suka tegur akan sesetengah amalan orang lain. Ada yang suka tegur orang secara kuat-kuat di depan khalayak ramai dan beliau kurang senang dengan sikap ini. Ye la, siapa tak sakit hati dengan orang tak reti budi bahasa begitu. Beliau kata yang jenis tu suka belagak pandai sahaja. Ada juga yang tegur berhemah one-to-one dengan berkata, “This is how I learn. I don’t know about your mazhab. If you think your way is right then go ahead.” Beliau kata contoh yang tegur secara hemah ni ialah imam mengajar tafsir hari tu. Kalau cara ini baru la senang sikit nak accept.

Beliau menambah lagi, “jadi biasanya pakcik rujuk la buku-buku ni bila ada orang cakap amalan pakcik dari S ingapore dulu salah. Mana yang salah tu pakcik betulkan la. Sesetengah tu kita pon ada hujah juga. Tak perlu gaduh-gaduh.” ujar beliau.

Kagum aku dengan sikap pakcik ini. Sanggup dia import buku dari tanah air untuk merujuk kembali apa yang dia tidak tahu dahulu jika ada yang menegurnya. Bukan beliau bertengkar lidah dan bukan juga beliau ‘membiarkan sahaja’ teguran itu.

Kemudian kami pon solat asar berjema’ah dua orang. Beliau meletakkan tikar sembahyang aku sedikit kebelakang di sebelah kanan beliau. Aku pon solat dengan kedudukan ma’mum sedikit di belakang la. Risau pula jika aku berdiri betul-betul sebaris dengan beliau nanti beliau rimas pula tak boleh concentrate solat. Selepas solat berjema’ah, beliau meminta aku lead bacaan doa lepas solat. Aku teragak-agak di situ. Akhirnya aku baca sahaja doa yang ringkas. Aku pon mesti menjaga adab perlakuan seorang yang muda kepada seorang yang tua, apatah lagi seorang tetamu di rumah orang.

Begitulah serba sedikit tentang muslim di bumi Toronto yang pelbagai aliran,mazhab dan manhaj. Ada yang belagak pandai, ada yang suka gaduh, ada juga yang tahu nak makan nasi beriani sahaja. Tetapi secara amnya masing-masing mempunyai sikap toleransi yang tinggi dan sering bertasammuh dalam banyak perkara. Inilah cabaran baru yang dibawa oleh globalisasi dan kita perlu hadapinya dengan matang. Kebanyakan negara-negara islam didominasi oleh satu aliran mazhab sahaja, tetapi ‘negara caca merba’ macam Canada ni lain pula ceritanya. Pertembungan seperti ini aku kira tidak berlaku dalam skala sebesar ini sebelum ini. Erti comparative mazhab bukan sekadar hujah-hujah di dalam buku sahaja, tetapi bagaimana untuk menghadapinya secara matang dalam dunia realiti.

Banyak lagi cerita-cerita tentang bab ini kalau nak diceritakan. Cukup sahajalah buat kali ini, aku pon bukan suka sangat cerita panjang tentang hal ini. Cuma kadang-kadang aku risau juga dengan perkembangan di tanah air. Ramai yang bersikap “holier than thou” (Term pinjaman dari Bangku). Ke satu pihak sahaja? Tak kesah la, pokoknya bercakaran juga. Adab dan akhlak tu penting bila tak sependapat.

Salam dari bumi Toronto.

Doa Peristiwa Thaif

أللهم إليك أشكو ضعف قو تى ، وقلة حيلتي ، وهو ا ني على النا س ، يا أرحم الر ا حمين ، أنت رب المستضعفين ، وأنت ربي ، إلى من تكلنى ؟ إلى بعيد يتجهمني ؟ أم إلى عد و ملكته أمري ؟ إن لم يكن بك علي غدب فلا أبلى ، ولكن عا فيبك هي أو سع لى ، أعو ذبنو ر و جحك الذي أشر قت له الظلما ت ، وصلح عليه أمر الد نيا والآ خرة من أن تنزل بي غدبك ، أو يحل علي سخطك ، لك العتبي حت تر ضى ، ولا حو ل ولا قو ة إلا بك.


“ Ya Allah, kepadaMu juga aku mengadukan kelemahan kekuatanku, kekurangan siasatku dan kehinaanku di hadapan manusia. Wahai Yang Paling Pengasih, Engkau adalah Rabb orang-orang yang lemah, Engakulah Rabbku, kepada siapa hendak Kau serahkan diriku? Kepada orang jauh yang bermuka masam kepadaku, ataukah musuh yang akan menguasai urusanku? Aku tidak peduli asalkan Engkau tidak murka kepadaku, sebab sungguh teramat luas afiat yang Engkau limpahkan kepadaku. Aku berlindung dengan cahaya wajahMu yang menyinari segala kegelapan dan yang kerananya urusan dunia dan akhirat menjadi baik, agar Engkau tidak menurunkan kemarahanMu kepadaku atau murka kepadaku. Engkaulah yang berhak menegurku hingga Engkau redha. Tidak ada daya dan kekuatan selain denganMu.”

Heart and Horse

“The likeness of al-aqal [intelligence] Is like the likeness of a horseman hunting for prey. His desire is like his horse, and his anger is like his dog. When the horseman is skillful and his steed well trained and his dog disciplined and schooled, he is deserving of success. But when he is clumsy and his steed unruly and his dog mordacious, so that his steed does not hasten beneath him submissively nor is his dog easily obedient to his signal, then he deserves to be destroyed – to say nothing of his attaining what he seeks. The clumsiness of the horseman is like a man’s ignorance and scanty wisdom and dim discernment, and the unruliness of the steed is like the domination of desire, and the mordacity of the dog is like the dominion and mastery of anger – we ask God graciously to grant us good guidance!” Imam al-Ghazali, Kitab Sharh Aja’ib al-Qalb.

*******

So al-aqal controls the heart, just like a horseman who controls his horse. Here it should not be a battle of strength, for a horse is always stronger than a man when it comes to sheer strength. A horseman who engages in a battle of strength with his steed is indeed a fool with scanty wisdom. The ‘passive leader’ is the one who leads but he listens, not someone who boss around with intimidation while being oblivious to the gaping flaws in his way or thought. An unruly steed, with high spirit – who likes to buck, rear, and bolt – is indeed a handful to control, but with correct training by his master, the wild beast can turn into a docile one. A well trained steed is indeed a pleasure to ride, but a clumsy horseman should not be allowed to ride him, for the docile beast maybe ruined by the horseman’s clumsiness. When a horseman has lost track about his where about, then he should follow his stead, for a horse instinctively knows where his home is. A horse who knows not his home is a mad horse indeed! They are in a hopeless situation then. I know not about dogs. Well, those I’ve seen at the streets seem to be well-trained…

P/S: Random part by me, just discard it.

*******

“The heart it is which, if a man knows it, he indeed knows himself, he indeed knows his Lord. It is also the heart which, if a man does not know it; he indeed knows not himself: and if he knows not himself, he indeed knows not his Lord – and no one knows not his heart is even more ignorant of other things.” Imam al-Ghazali, Kitab Sharh Aja’ib al-Qalb.

*******

“Ada manusia yang terlalu sibuk, sehingga dia tidak sempat mencari punca penyakit yang dihidapinya. Ada yang sampai dicabut nyawa tidak menyedari hatinya berpenyakit, dan penyakit itulah yang telah membinasakannya. Ada juga yang tatkala berada di ambang kematian baru menyedari hati mereka berpenyakit, namun malang mereka belum berjaya memperoleh penawar, dan berterus-terusanlah mereka berlawan dengan penyakit tersebut sehinggalah ajal menjemput mereka. Akal mereka telah dikurniakan kekuatan kefahaman untuk mengetahui hati mereka berpenyakit, namun hati mereka belum punya kekuatan semangat untuk berhadapan dengan penyakit tersebut.

Apakah ada ubat yang lebih berkesan dari al-Quran? Cuma hati manusia sering lalai dari menjadikan al-Quran sebahagian dari rutin harian mereka. Alangkah ruginya mereka, sedangkan padanya terdapat penawar bagi segala penyakit hati! Pembacaan, kefahaman mengenai al-Quran akan menghasilkan jiwa yang beriman. Tanda seseorang dalam proses sembuh dari penyakit hati ialah dia merasa tenang dengan dunia. Dunia ini tidak memberi kesan langsung kepada hatinya. Hidupnya di dunia dipastikan tidak lebih sekadar seorang musafir kelana, dan sebagai seorang musafir dia akan hanya mengambil perkara yang benar-benar berguna buat perjalanannya dan meninggalkan segala yang tidak diperlukan kerana membawa lebihan barang akan hanya menyulitkan perjalanannya kelak.

Tanda hati yang kuat ialah apabila tuannya tersilap langkah tersalah perhitungan, ia cepat-cepat mengingatkan tuan pemiliknya agar kembali kepada Allah. Manusia tidak mungkin lari dari melakukan kesilapan dan kesalahan, pun begitu manusia yang sihat ialah mereka yang cepat beristighfar dan bertaubat kepada Allah. Hati mereka sentiasa ingin berkhidmat kepada Allah. Ada saja perkara yang menyenangkan Allah dan membawa kepada redha-Nya, maka hati sentiasa teringin melakukannya. Tatkala hati ini masuk ke dalam solat, terus melupakan dunia. Segalanya ditumpukan kepada Allah. Rasa sayang pula untuk keluar dari solat. Begitu jugalah antara waktu-waktu solat. Hati sentiasa rindu ingin bertemu Allah pada waktu solat seterusnya.
Tidak hairanlah jika ada yang berpendapat bermuhasabah tentang sesuatu amalan itu lebih baik dari melakukan amalan tersebut. Kedua-duanya baik (bukannya tidak buat langsung), cuma memeriksa amalan adalah lebih baik. Adakah amalan kita memenuhi syarat-syarat ikhlas dan ittiba'?”

*Ringkasan Kuliah Syeikh Abu 'Abdurrahman Muhammad 'Ali 'Ajaal, Masjid Besar Ottawa oleh Abu Maryam

*******

Rasulullah Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam bersabda : “Ketahuilah bahawa dalam tubuh ini terdapat segumpal daging Jika ianya baik maka baiklah seluruh tubuh ini dan sebaliknya apabila ianya rosak maka rosaklah pula seluruh tubuh ini.” (Hadith sahih riwayat Bukhari 1/126)

a Young Man at Kufa

Ada cerita macam best nak aku kongsi dengan kalian. Sebelum bermula, aku nak kata bahawa aku tahu cerita ini banyak juga ‘kemengarutan’ dan harap pembaca menyedarinya juga. Tetapi rasanya ada juga mesej yang berguna di sebaliknya yang boleh kita renung-renungkan.

Ahmad ibn Sa’id al-‘Abid related that his father had told him the following: ‘There was once with us at Kufa a young man much given to devotional practices, who used to stay in the Friday mosque and hardly ever leave it. Since he had a fine face and bearing, and a pleasant manner, he was noticed by a beautiful and intelligent woman, who fell deeply in love with him. After having passed a long while in this condition, she stood in the road one day when he was going to the mosque. “Young man!” she said. “Hear a few words which I would say to you, and then do whatever you will.” He walked on without speaking to her. Then she stood in the road when he was returning home, and said, “Young man! Hear a few words which I would say to you!’ He lowered his head for some time, and told her, “This is a situation which invites suspicion, and I do not like to be suspected.” “By God,” she told him. “I am not standing here because of my ignorance of your disposition; God forbid that people should see me do this thing, yet I have been impelled to meet you myself; only a little of such things is considered by people to be too much, and you constant worshippers are like glass bottles which are damaged by the slightest thing. In sum, what I would say is that all my limbs are intent upon you: God, God help me with you!” The young man went home. He wanted to pray, but he could not concentrate, so he took out a piece of paper instead and wrote a message. He then went outdoors, where the young woman was standing in the same place: he threw the message towards her, and went back in. The message ran: “In the name of God, Most Compassionate and Merciful. You should know, O woman, that when one of God’s servants sins against Him, He deals with him lineantly. Should he sin again, He conceals this for him. But should he don its garments, then God conceives against him such wrath as the very heavens and the earth could not compass, neither the mountains, the trees and the animals (Qur’an. XXII:18): what man could then withstand such wrath? If what you said was spoken in deceit, then I would remind you of a Day when the sky will become as molten copper, and the mountains as carded wool, (Qur’an LXX:8,9) when all nations shall crouch down before the onslaught of the Almighty. I am too weak to reform myself; how, then, may I reform others? However, if what you say was spoken truly, I would direct you to a physician of guidance, who cures festering wounds and burning pains; to wit, God, Who is Lord of the Worlds. So address yourself to Him with sincere entreaties, for I am distracted from you by His words (Exalted is He!): And warn them of the Day of Destruction, when hearts shall choke throats, when there will be no friends for the evildoers, neither any intercessor who will be heard. He knows the traitor of the eye and that which hearts conceal. God judges with verity! (Qur’an XL:18-20)How may one escape from this verse?”

‘A few days later, she came and stood in front of him again in the street. When he saw her from afar he wanted to return to his house as not to see her. But she said, “Young man! Do not go back, for we shall never meet after today save in the presence of God (Exalted is He!)” She broke into bitter tears, and said, “I ask God, in Whose hand lie the keys of your heart, to ease all your hardships.” She then followed him, saying, “Grant me the kindness of an admonition, which I may take from you, and give me counsel by which I may act.” “I counsel you,” he said, “to protect your soul from your soul,” and would remind you of His statement (Exalted is He!): He it is who slays you at night, and knows what you commit by day. (Qur’anVI:160) At this, she lowered her head, and cried even more bitterly. When she recovered, she went home, and remained there, and occupied herself with continual worship until at last she died of grief. After her death, the young man would weep when he recalled her. “Why you weep?” he was asked, “when you kept her away from you?” And he would reply, “I killed her hope for me at the outset, and through that rejection stored up a treasure with God (Exalted is He!). And then I was ashamed to take back a treasure of this kind.”

* Kasr al-shahwatayn (Breaking the Two Desires), al-Ghazali.

Some notes about the ending:-
The intended meaning is that he had felt an unlawful desire for fer, and gained such grace in wrestling with it that he too fell in love with her, he denied himself a legitimate marriage so as not to vitiate his original virtue.

Kapalku Karam

Sesungguhnya kesunyian di negara orang ini membuatkan diriku lebih mengingati akan Maha Kuasa. Bila difikirkan balik, aku tidak pernah betul-betul meletakkan Allah di takhta nombor satu hatiku, dan aku juga tidak ingin berpura-pura mengatakan bahawa sekarang Allah benar-benar berada di takhta nombor satu dalam hatiku.

Apabila ayah, emak, rakan-rakan, dan segala macam kesenangan yang biasa aku perolehi tiada lagi bersamaku, aku bagaikan seorang survivor yang terkapai-kapai di tengah lautan yang luas apabila kapal yang dinaikinya karam. Betapa aku sedar bahawa selama ini aku sangat bergantung kepada mereka dan mungkin terlalu bergantung terutamanya kepada kesenangan kehidupan aku selama ini (Belum mati lagi ini).

Apabila aku hilang akan semua tempat bergantung ini, barulah aku terhegeh-hegeh mencari tempat bergantung yang sentiasa berada disisiku cumanya aku tidak mempedulikannya selama ini. Bukan tidak pernah aku mendengar ayat “Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us).” [3:173], cumanya ayat itu masuk telinga kiriku dan keluar telinga kananku tanpa meninggalkan apa-apa kesan. Allah is Sufficient for us. Ya, aku memang menerima ayat ini sejak dulu lagi, tetapi ayat ini berada dalam fikiranku hanya ketika aku membaca qolu hasbunallahu wa ni’mal wakil. Tidak pernah ia terserap dalam sanubariku.

Semasa penerbanganku ke Toronto, aku menyedari bahawa aku tertinggal surat kebenaran untuk membuat visa Canada di airport Frankfurt (stop over), dan semasa itu memang lidahku tidak berhenti berzikir dan berdoa meminta kepadaNya dipermudahkan urusanku. Alhamdulillah aku tidak menghadapi sebarang masalah di imigresen Toronto. Surat itu telah ayahku fax ke imigresen tersebut sebelum kapal terbang yang aku naiki mendarat di bumi Toronto lagi. Aku masih teringat kata-kata pegawai imigresen itu, “Young man, you should not forget something as important as this.” Aku hanya mampu tersenyum. Sudah tentu aku sangat lega, gembira dan bersyukur kepada Allah pada hari itu. Perasaan gembira aku bercampur baur denga rasa bersalah. Jika difikirkan balik, aku tidak pernah (atau jarang sekali) membasahi lidahku dengan zikrullah kecuali apabila tersempit dan tidak dapat memikirkan jalan keluar.

Membasahi lidah dengan zikr bukanlah menjadi isu utama sebenarnya. Maksud aku, banyak lagi masalah-masalah yang lebih besar dengan diriku ini. Barangkali, aku sudah hanyut dalam pelbagai nikmat dunia dan terus terang, aku pun tidak tahu di mana Allah dalam hatiku (kecuali bila dalam kesusahan). Handphone yang dibeli hendak canggih-canggih sahaja. Kononnya banyak functions, tetapi kebenarannya ingin mengikut trend dan ingin berbangga juga. Jenama atau Brand diberi keutamaan dalam membeli apa-apa barang pon- termasuk pakaian. Akal mengerti akan suruhan ‘merendahkan pandangan’, tetapi mata mengikut kata-kata nafsu sekali-sekala.

Kebenarannya, mana mungkin seorang hamba benar-benar khusyu’ dalam solat apabila diri sudah dimamah nikmat duniawi. Sifirnya senang sahaja: apabila seseorang itu solat dia boleh memilih untuk mengingati Allah atau perkara-perkara duniawi. Bukanlah aku ingat handphone, brand, sebagainya dalam solatku, tetapi perkara-perkara tersebut bertakhta dihatiku, sehingga mengingati Allah itu tidakku nampak lagi nikmatnya. Perkara paling penting: Aku seorang sahaja yang mengerti akan diriku sebenar. Keluarga aku sentiasa menganggap aku ini ‘alim sebab aku ini dulu mengaji agama sikit. Begitu jugalah dengan rakan-rakanku. Senang cerita, kapalku sarat dengan pelbagai benda-benda lagha tetapi luaranya tampak indah sahaja.

Semasa aku terkapai-kapai di tengah lautan itu, sudah tentu aku menunggu kapal lain untuk menyelamatkan aku. Ditakdirkan ada pula sebuah kapal kargo besar berwarna hijau sedang berlayar ke arahku. Di tepi veselnya tertulis al-Ghazali dalam tulisan khat jawi yang sungguh indah.

Aku sangat tertarik dengan tulisan-tulisan al-Ghazali. Bukan tak kenal siapa Imam al-Ghazali di bangku sekolah dahulu. Bukan juga tidak pernah dengar tentang kitab ulungnya Ihya’ Ulumuddin. Tetapi diri ini tidak ingin mengambil tahu. Di dalam fikiranku, tidak pernah pula aku belajar tentang masalah hati ini di bangku sekolah dahulu. Adakah aku sahaja yang tidak sedar dahulu? Ataupun, adakah ia tidak diajar kerana tulisan seperti al-Ghazali ini menjurus ke arah kesufian? Namun, tidak dinafikan aku jumpa ‘bende-benda pelik’ dalam kitab-kitab al-Ghazali yang tidak pernah aku dengari sebelum ini. Bagi aku, apa yang keruh itu dibuang, apa yang baik itu diambil. Cumanya, memang perlu berhati-hati lah di sini.

Aku tidak terus melompat naik ke atas kapal tersebut. Dalam aku sebok menimbang akan keputusanku, sedar tak sedar, ia sudah berlayar meninggalkan aku. Mungkin ada hikmahnya dan hanya yang Maha Kuasa sahaja yang mengetahui. Begitulah kisah kapal kargo al-Ghazali yang sedikit mencurigakan. Apa yang pasti, ia menghidupkan semula harapanku untuk terus menunggu dan mencari jalan keluar dari lautan luas ini yang cuacanya sangat tidak menentu. Kemudian aku….

Apa Ibn Kathir kata tentang Imam al-Ghazali:-
Menurut Ibn Kathir : (pada hari hayat) dia telah pulang ke negerinya Thusi dan tinggal disana, membentuk perhubungan, mengadakan rumah yang baik, menanam tanan-tanaman di kebun yang indah, membaca al-Quran dan menghafal hadith-hadith sahih..... dikatakan pada akhir hayatnya, beliau lebih cenderung kepada mendengar hadith-hadith al-Bukhari dan Muslim dan menghafalmnya. (al-Bidaayah wa al-Nihaayah 12/174).

Tentang ‘entah’

Hassan ibn ‘Atiya berkata: ‘Two men may offer prayer shoulder to shoulder, and yet between their two prayers lies gulf as vast as that saperating Heaven from earth. This is because one of them has his heart turned towards God, while the other is forgetful and heedless.’[1]

Terus terang dengan diri sendiri, tanyalah diri anda, “Adakah aku kyusuk dalam solat ku?” Jika diri anda yang jujur ini menjawab “Tidak”, tanyalah diri anda, “Mengapa aku tidak berasa sedih dengan jawapanku ini?”

‘Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish the prayer. Verily the prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deed and the remembering of (you by) Allah is greater indeed [than your remembering of Allah in prayers]. And Allah knows what you do’ [Qur’an 29:45]

Syaikh al-Islam ibn Taymiyya menafsirkan ayat ini sebagai: “The correct understanding of the verse is that the prayer has two major purposes, one greater than the other: prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds and contains the remembrance of God Most High; the remembrance of God contained in the prayer is [something] greater than the restrain from shameful deeds and injustice” [2]

Di sini aku ingin berkongsi sedikit pengalaman tentang dilema: “Aku solat tetapi aku masih buat maksiat.” Ingin aku tegaskan bahawa aku ingin berkongsi pengalaman, bukan inginku mendebatkan tentang makna maksiat atau pelbagai tafsiran ayat tersebut.

Jika kita ajukan dilema ini kepada seorang ustaz, biasanya beliau akan bertanya kita kembali, “solat kamu bagaimana?” Anggapkan solat kita sudah menepati cara rasulullah s.a.w. solat (Maknanya mengetahui cara rasulullah s.a.w. solat mengikut hadith-hadith sahih, bukan taqlid buta sahaja), cuma masalahnya di sini adalah tiada kekhusyukan.

Persoalan seterusnya yang timbul tentulah, “Macam mana nak khusyuk pulak?” Bila seorang ustaz ditujukan soalan ini, beliau akan bersyarah panjang lebar tentang bab menumpukan pandangan ke tempat sujud, memahami bacaan yang dibaca dalam solat, memakai pakaian yang bersih, dan sebagainya. Kita pun cuba praktikan ilmu yang baru kita pelajari ini, tetapi malangnya kita tetap tidak dapat khusyuk. Mata sudah tertumpu di tempat sujud tetapi fikiran melayang entah ke mana. Bacaan dalam solat sudah difahami, tetapi semasa solat kita merancang apa nak buat selepas solat nanti.

Jadi, “Macam mana nak kuysuk ni?” Seorang ustaz lain pula berkata, “Anda kena mencari kenikmatan dan ketenangan dalam solat anda. Rasulullah s.a.w. pernah bersabda, “My source of gladness has been put in the prayer” [3] Kemudian beliau menambah lagi, “Mengikut satu hadith riwayat Muslim, Rasulullah s.a.w. menjawab pertanyaan tentang makna ihsan dengan berkata: 'It is to worship Allah as though you could see Him for while you do not see Him, He sees you.' [4]

Hati kita pon berbisik,”Oh begitu.. Bukan aku tak pernah dengar hadith ini. Bukan aku tidak pernah dikhabarkan juga tentang ketenangan dalam solat ini. Tetapi entah, masih tak khusyuk jugak.” Aik, apakah ‘entah’ ini? Secara lojiknya, selagi kita tidak mencari apakah ‘entah’ ini, selagi itu kita tidak boleh khusyuk. Rupa-rupanya, pokok masalahnya mudah sahaja: ‘entah’. ‘Entah’ oh ‘entah’ siapakah engkau ‘entah’? Jangan ‘entah’ menjawab, “memang aku ‘entah’, memang aku ‘entah’” sudah la. Kalau ‘entah’ menjawab begitu, sampai bila pon tidak akan selesai masalah kita ini. Jadi apakah ‘entah’ ini? Cuba anda fikirkan dalam-dalam.

Kita manusia ini, kalau kita tidak suka untuk mengaku akan sesuatu, kita akan tukar perkataan asal yang menjelaskan apa benda itu secara tepat kepada sesuatu perkataan lain yang lebih disenangi hati. Contohnya, penggunaan perkataan 'mother nature'. Ada sesetengah pihak suka berkata, “This is the work of mother nature” apabila mereka menggambarkan keagungan alam ciptaan Allah ini yang tiada kecacatan. Sebenarnya mereka hendak berkata, “This is the work of God” tetapi mereka tidak senang dengan perkataan 'God' itu. Mereka tidak mahu mengaku akan kewujudan Allah tetapi pada masa yang sama mereka takut akan Allah juga. Bagi menenangkan hati mereka, mereka menggantikan perkataan 'God' dengan perkataan 'mother nature' yang maknanya sangat samar. George Orwell, seorang novelis dan penulis artikel tentang bahasa yang terkenal pernah berkata, “If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” [5]

Kembali kepada topik asal, apakah ‘entah’? Izinkan aku menterjemahkan ‘entah’ ini sebagai ‘sukakan sangat duniawi’. Adakah anda bersetuju? Bukan senang hendak mengaku aku sukakan sangat duniawi ini, lagi-lagi bagi seorang muslim. Mari kita rephrase perkataan tadi dengan menggantikan perkataan ‘entah’ dengan ‘sukakan sangat duniawi’:-
”Oh begitu. Bukan aku tak pernah dengar hadith ini. Bukan aku tidak pernah dikhabarkan juga tentang ketenangan dalam solat ini.. Tetapi sebab aku sukakan sangat duniawi, aku masih tak khusyuk juga.”

Mungkin soalan ini akan timbul: “Apakah kaitan sukakan duniawi dengan khusyuk solat? Solat itu 5 minit sahaja. Apa aku buat luar 5 minit itu mana ada kaitan dengan tumpuan aku semasa aku solat.” Jawapan pertama aku, tepuk dada tanya iman secara jujur.

Mari kita tanya diri kita soalan-soalan ini:-

“Adakah aku taksub dengan harta dan status sehingga memilikinya membuatkan hati ku gembira tidak terkira?”

Untuk lebih direct:-

“Adakah aku suka minum Starbuck semata-mata kerana ia kopi mahal?"

“Adakah aku ingin membeli handphone Nokia atau Sony yang terbaru kerana ia adalah trend yang boleh aku banggakan?”

“Adakah aku ingin membeli pakaian-pakaian berjenama sahaja kerana ingin berbangga denganya?”

Kasr syahwatayn:-

"Adakah aku mengikuti suruhan ‘merendahkan pandangan’, atau mata aku mengikut kata-kata nafsu sekali-sekala?"

"Adakah aku banyak komplen apabila sekali-sekala makanan yang tidak mengikuti seleraku dihidangkan?"

Bukanlah aku berkata memiliki kereta Mercedes, Jeans Levise, handphone Sony Ericsson Walkman (huhu..), dan minum Starbucks adalah salah (jauh sekali dari itu maksudku). Tetapi, adakah hati anda tetap neutral ketika memilikinya dan adakah anda sedar semua benda ini hanya pinjaman daripada Allah buat sementara waktu sahaja? Cumanya, aku risau bahawa hati kita sudah ditawan oleh keinginan-keinginan kita ini sehinggakan mengingati Allah itu menjadi perkara sampingan sahaja.

Ketika Syaikh al-Islam ibn Taimiya dipenjarakan oleh pemerintah yang zalim, beliau berkata:-
‘The real prisoner is someone whose heart is imprisoned from his Lord; the true captive is someone captured by his passions.’ [6]

Jikalau hati anda melompat-lompat dengan perkara-perkara ini, bolehkah ia melompat-lompat juga untuk bertemu dengan Allah semasa solat? Jika kita sudah suka dunia secara melampau, maka kita akan lupa tentang mati. Mati itu pula adalah pertemuan mutlak kita dengan Allah. Apakah pula value pertemuan 5 hari sekali dengan Allah bagi orang yang sudah lupa akan hari kembalinya kepada Allah? Renung-renungkanlah…

“And be not like those who forgets God and whom He causes to forget their own souls: truly those are the corrupted” [Qur’an 59:9]

Lagi satu, kadang-kadang kita suka bercakap tentang life. Ataupun talk about life. Kita selalu juga menggunakan frasa get a life. Penggunaan perkataan life dalam konteks ini pon pada kiraan aku agak samar-samar ertinya. Seolah-olah hendak lari dari sebut sesuatu benda lain sahaja. Adakah talk about life sepatutnya diterjemahkan sebagai ‘bercakap tentang cinta akan duniawi’? Kalau kita bercakap tentang saving life atau life in the hereafter itu lain la. Diharapkan life yang kita sebut-sebutkan ini bukan narrow life yang Allah sebut dalam firman-Nya:-
‘Whoever turns away from My remembrance, for him life shall be narrow, and We will bring him forth on the Day of Judgement blind. He will say, “Lord, why did you bring me forth blind when I used to see?” And He will answer, “My verses came to you and you disregarded them; and so on this Day you are forgotten”’ [Qur’an 20: 124-126]

Bukanlah penggunaan perkataan ‘entah’ dan ‘life’ itu menjadi punca masalah tidak khusyuk dalam solat dan cinta melampau akan duniawi. Bukanlah juga kalau kita berhenti menggunakan perkataan-perkataan tersebut maka masalah kita akan selesai. Aku hanya ingin mengingatkan kita tentang perkara-perkara yang sering kita lupai (sama ada sengaja atau tidak sengaja) dan manifestasinya adalah dalam penggunaan bahasa yang samar. Di dalam essay-nya Politics and the English Language, George Orwell menulis, “I have not here been considering the literary use of language, but merely language as an instrument for expressing and not for concealing or preventing thought.” [7]

Ibn Qayyim al-Jauwziyya menulis dalam kitabnya al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al-Tayyib:-
‘A Gnostic once said, “If kings and the sons of kings knew what we had, they would try to take it from us by the sword!’ Another said: ‘How pitiful, the world people! They would leave this life without ever having tasted the sweetest thing in it.’ When asked what that was he replied, ‘The love of God, the knowledge of God, and the remembrance of God,’ or words to that effect. Another said: ‘There are times when the heart dances in joy.’ And another said, ‘There are times when I say, If the people of Heaven have anything like this, how truly sweet their lives!’ To love God, to know Him intimately, to remember Him constantly, to find peace and rest in Him, to make Him alone the [ultimate] object of love, fear, hope, and trust; to base one’s act on this world’s Heaven, and such is a blessing with which no other love God are gladdened and that the Gnostic find life. As their hearts are gladdened by God, so others are gladdened by them. For whoever finds his source of gladness in God, gladdens all hearts; whoever does not, finds nothing in this world but restlessness. Anyone with life in his heart will confirm this’ [8]

Allah berfirman, ‘Remember me, I shall remember you” [Qur’an 2:152]

Sila bertulkan kesalahanku. Allahu’alam.

Rujukan:-

[1] Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min Kalim al-Tayyib, by ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya ( pg 26) Hassan ibn ‘Atiyya is originally from Basra, he was among the first generation after the companion (Tabi’in).

[2] Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min Kalim al-Tayyib, by ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya ( pg 96)

[3] The full wording is: “Made beloved to me in your world are woman and perfume, and my source of gladness has been placed in prayer” (Nasa’i, Ashra al-Nisa’, 3879).

[4] The full wording is: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black. No trace of travel could be seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet. Resting his knees against his and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said, 'O Muhammad! Tell me about Islam.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast in Ramadan and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.' He said, 'You have spoken the truth,' and we amazed at him asking him and then saying that he had spoken the truth. He said, 'Then tell me about belief.' He said, 'It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in the decree, both its good and its evil.' He said, 'You have spoken the truth.' He said, 'Then tell me about ihsan.' He said, 'It is to worship Allah as though you could see Him for while you do not see Him, He sees you.' He said, 'Then tell me about the Hour.' He said, 'The one asked about it knows no more about it than the asker.' He said, 'Then tell me about its signs.' He said, 'That a slavegirl will give birth to her mistress and that you will see barefooted, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing lofty buildings.' Then he left but I stayed on a while. Then the Prophet said, ''Umar, do you know who the questioner was?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'It was Jibril who came to teach you your religion.'" [Muslim]

[5] George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language," 1946. Online version: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm

[6] Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min Kalim al-Tayyib, by ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya ( pg 56)

[7] George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language," 1946. Online version: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm

[8] Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min Kalim al-Tayyib, by ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya ( pg 58-59 )