How to avoid/ curb arrogance

This is taken from here.

One of the famous Imam, Imam Syafie has provided us with some tips on how to curb the above problem. Arrogance or "riya'" is one of the major sins in Islam and can lead to 'shirk'.

1. When you meet the elderly, respect them because they have worshipped Allah long time ago.

2. When you meet small children (or people younger than you are), be humble to them because they are still pure, innocent and free from any sins.

3. When you meet ulama', respect them for their knowledge. They know a lot more than you.

4. When you meet ignorant people (jahil), be aware that they commit the sins because they do not know, and you are worse than them if you commit the sins but you know they are wrong.

5. When you meet non-muslims people, respect them and have in mind that maybe one day they will embrace Islam.

Islam is beautiful becuase muslims are obliged to respect others and to avoid prejudice. Indeed we have no right to judge others and to tell that he/she is going to hell because it's the end that decides everything.

Maybe I sould sell my car

It's my dads' car actually.

Anyhow, the rise of the fuel price has created a major ripple effect. People have actually started to use public transports with enormous expectations for its efficiency.

Going Public. Click here.

The Government should buck-up the public transport system right about now!

Before they come to the receiving end of the wrath of the people.

For a special someone

I just had a reminiscence.

Sleeping in the car... someone carrying me inside.

I think I actually pretended to fall sleep just so I could be carried onto my bed like Sleeping Beauty.

My Hero.
I miss you dad.

Tagging Business: Of usrah

Have been wanting to do this for a long time now. Cuma asyik takde mood jek. Hehhe. Sorry ye Cik KD yang tag saya! Yelah, nak tulis mengenai benda-benda yang berkait rapat dengan hati ni kenalah datangkan feel dulu. Recently a friend who has never been involved in this kind of usrah activity asked me about what usrah really is. I told her that it is a group of people who cares about each other and wants the best for themselves and those around them. They not only care about earthly things but also matters of utmost importance, that of the eternal life. When you really think about it, you'll find how very touching it is for someone to care so much about you that they are willing to forgo their embarrassment of admonishing your faults for the sake of wanting to bring out the best in you. Anyway, enough of the introduction, let's move on to the questions.

(1) Bila dan berapa lama sudah join usrah? + (2) Bagaimana and boleh menyertai usrah?

Well frankly speaking, waktu sekolah menengah dah ada usrah. I am actually one of the naqibahs (leader) back then. Looking back, however, I have never felt the deep affection I have for my usrah group then as I have now. Agaknya dekat sekolah dulu, sekadar memenuhi kehendak guru-guru yang meletakkan tanggungjawab naqibah itu ke atas bahu saya (secara paksa, hehhe). To be honest, I never actually understood what usrah really is until only recently. That is, to be precise, about 11 months ago. When I met a group of very kind yet enthusiastic sisters from UK and Eire (well they're actually Malaysians who're studying there and came back to Malaysia for their summer vacation). Jumpa mereka dalam satu program, (pergi ke program tu pun accidently sebenarnya) yang banyak mengajar saya erti hidup yang sebenarnya. Erti hidup sebagai hamba. Which is not that bad actually, not that bad at all. You might be shocked to know that I have actually thought Islam as an oppressive religion before. Dekat Malaysia ni, we are always bombarded with the phrase "Kita ni hamba Allah". Once upon time, each moment I hear those lines being uttered, I will cringe with disgust. Yes, please read it out loud and clear - DISGUST. Sebab saya fikir, kalau betul Islam ini menjaja kebebasan dan keadilan as it's appointed banner, kenapa perlu memperhambakan diri? Hehhe. I was actually completely and shamefully wrong. Itulah siapa suruh buat spekulasi sendiri sebelum cukup timba ilmu, kan dah kena. I really want to explain how my paradigm was shifted 180 degrees after meeting them but that would take forever, so sesiapa yang curious tu, boleh email saya tanya ye! Hehhe. Jadi, saya kira itulah saat saya menyertai usrah yang sebenar-benar usrah. Usrah yang ada hala tuju, usrah yang sentiasa menaikkan semangat saya untuk terus berjuang menegakkan kebenaran, usrah yang tidak pernah kering dengan kasih sayang dan yang paling best sekali usrah yang sentiasa buat saya terus ceria dan bersemangat untuk hidup as a true Muslim, no less.

(3) Kenapa anda sertai usrah?

Saya rasa the question is not kenapa sertai, it should be kenapa kekal berada di dalam usrah? Sebab kebanyakan orang akan fikir, mestilah nak sertai benda yang baik kan. Tapi the reasons for starting are not always the same ones for staying. For me, I believe that people are not meant to be alone. Ever. And instead of waiting for a miracle to fall down from the sky, we should make an effort to surround ourselves with people who truly care for us. For people who are not familiar with this 'thing'' called usrah, you might question the authenticity of my claim. I keep talking about people who care about me, but you might question the sincerity of these people, am I right? *smug look* Hehhe. Well, I believe that people who commit themselves to usrah are people who are ever searching for the truth in life, death and even beyond. I'm not saying those who aren't don't. It's just that if you put together a group of people who have the same goals and visions, no matter how impossible or stupid it might sound, they will somehow find a way to achieve them. A team is better than doing the job alone. Plus, I also believe that eveyone has an ambition to be a better person and to improve in everything they do. And every Muslim, no matter how far they've deviated from the true teachings of Islam, have the desire to die in Iman and go straight to heaven. If you are alone, it is extremely easy to be conned into the whispers of syaitan and the lust of your nafs. But with the love and support from others, it becomes possible to fight those negative urges. So there you go, you have to extract my personal answer to this question from the long babbling of mine. Sorry. I like to babble a lot. =P

(4) 3 perasaan selepas menyertai usrah?

Banyak sebenarnya, tapi since the question only asked for 3, saya bagilah 3 je that I can think of instantaneously.

Perasaan I: Special. Special because Allah has chosen me to be a part of His big plan in spreading the truth. That Allah has opened my heart to allow His light to enter. And special because He gave me the opportunity to come to know people who love me unconditionally for His sake unaffected by the events of earthly suspicions.

Perasaan II: Enthusiastic and always on the high. I am NOT on dope ok. Hehhe. But I think I can almost understand the feeling of drug addicts the world over. *pan-face* Yes, often I stumble and fall. Repeatedly into the same hole I must admit. But I somehow regain my enthusiasm and zest for life everytime I come back from my usrah. Don't ask me how, come and experience it yourself. Bagitau saya kalau curious ok, nanti saya bawak. Hehhe. Usrah tu jadi a bit like an addiction. Kalau tak ada seminggu, rasa tak keruan dibuatnya!

Perasaan III: Happy. Plain and simple. I don't think I need any explanation for that. =)

(5) 5 perkara diperoleh sepanjang usrah?

Sorry can't do a long one for this question, need to go for usrah kejap lagi. So it'll be short and simple. Kalau ada soalan lebih-lebih, sila email ye. Hehhe.

I. People can forget, people can become preoccupied. But we can always count on Allah no matter what.

II. That Allah is ever forgiving.

When my heart became constricted
and my paths became narrow,
I took my hope in Your pardon and forgiveness
as an opening and an escape,
My sins seemed very great to me
but when I compared them to Your forgiveness,
I found Your forgiveness to be greater
- Imam Shafie (rahimullah)

III. That the truth shall prevail in the end, even when you feel like giving up. The truth always wins. Maybe not now, we don't know when but ultimately it will. So do we want to be a part of it or do we choose to merely be a spectator?

IV. You have to be brave to live the truth you find. People will speculate, life might not turn out to be your cloud nine dream. You just have to perservere. Your rewards are already in the making.

V. You will tend to fall back on the things that fulfill your desires only not your Iman but you have to always push forward and pull yourself back together again. Because deep inside you know what the real purpose of life is. In the end, Allah knows best.

I won't tag anyone. It's cumbersome business. I'm just too lazy. *smiles innocently*

"We need spirited, energetic and strong young people whose hearts are filled with life, enthusiasm, zeal and dynamism; whose souls are full of ambition, aspiration and vigor and have great goals, rising and aspiring to reach them until they eventually arrive at their destination."
- Hasan al-Banna

Thoughts

I think you have strength. A different kind of strength.

Post (ancient) Election

Pemimpin berjiwa rakyat.

Tekan la di situ. Just to shed some light on the real leaders of this country. I personally vouch for my peers who have not yet registered themselves for the next election to do it now before it's too late. And then vote for the real leaders. Those who fight for justice and equality, not merely talking about it but truly making it a part of their life.

This is a super late update on the past election. And the coming one too. ;)

Islam Sebenar?

The picture says..

MEMBANGUN BERSAMA ISLAM: Masalah pilihan bukan berlaku setiap lima tahun sekali. Pilihan berlaku setiap saat kerana manusia ditakdir oleh Allah swt hidup di muka dunia in diapit oleh malaikat disebelah kanan, syaitan di sebelah kiri.

ISLAM HADHARI: Sayalah PM yang kuat bekerja.

Doing the unexpected

Got this from my (blood) sister's blog.

"Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it."
-My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult.

But then, what we're capable of comes from the innate ability to do the unexpected. And that ability comes with persistence and perseverance of committing yourself to what you believe is right. Even when you don't believe in yourself anymore.

In a bit of a melancholic mood. Sorry.

Ustazah

This entry was written by my beloved sister in Galway, Ireland: Kak Hanim yang comel! ;)

Kadang-kadang kita rasa kita susah, tapi hakikatnya ada orang lain lagi susah. Kita ingat ujian Allah kat kita ni sangat-sangat mencabar, tak sanggup rasanya, tapi orang lain punya ujian lagi dahsyat lagi berat. Kerana syurga itu mahal. Takde siapa cakap syurga itu murah. Kalau hidup sentiasa bebas dari ujian, dengan apa kita nak bayar tiket syurga?.

Baru-baru ini negara Mesir telah menangkap 40 orang lelaki, dan 2 hari lepas Mesir mengumumkan pemenjaraan 25 orang daripada lelaki-lelaki itu. Saya tidak tahu apa-apa tentang mereka. Saya tidak pernah tahu mereka di mana. Saya tidak pernah lihat wajah mereka. Cuma... saya mengenali nama-nama sebahagian dari mereka! Kerana tulisan-tulisan mereka tidak asing bagi diri saya. Saya biasa membaca hasil pena mereka - buku-buku tafsir,sirah... banyak yang hasil karya mereka. Banyak yang telah memberi ilmu serta kefahaman pada saya, telah memberi kesan yang dalam kepada jiwa saya..

Lalu saya merasa sangat sakit hati dengan penangkapan mereka, dengan penyumbatan mereka ke dalam penjara. Kerana saya tahu mereka adalah manusia-manusia yang soleh. Saya telah banyak mendapat tempias islam dari penulisan mereka. Sakit hati saya terhadap hukuman zalim Mesir kepada mereka sangat sukar untuk dibendung-bendung. Moga Allah beri kekuatan kepada mereka di saat-saat kesusahan dan saat-saat genting seperti ini.

Selama ini saya cuma mengenali mereka sebagai nama pengarang yang tertulis di atas kitab dan hasil pena mereka yang hebat. Apabila tersiarnya berita itu beserta gambar dan details diri mereka, barulah saya tahu rupanya mereka itu rakyat Mesir, buat pertama kalinya saya melihat wajah mereka, dan saya juga sangat terkesan apabila mengetahui mereka yang menulis buku-buku islami itu bukanlah Syeikh-Syeikh, dan bukan orang yang mengajar agama secara rasmi yang bertitle Ustaz (ini definisi umum orang melayu terhadap perkataan ustaz/ustazah) walaupun mungkin mereka mempunyai kelayakan, tetapi mereka adalah doktor dan engineer, professor dan akauntan, pakar bedah dan ahli perniagaan!

Maka...

Ia hanya menambahkan lagi koleksi bukti bahawa bukan orang yang belajar Syariah sahaja perlu dan boleh faham Islam dengan mendalam. Bukan orang yang ada title Ustaz-Ustazah sahaja berhak bicara tentang ilmu islam. Tidak sama sekali. Islam itu milik semua orang, patut difahami semua orang dan menyeru islam & kebaikan itu tugas semua orang. Doktor, Engineer, Akauntan, Businessman itu cuma pekerjaan sahaja. Cuma untuk menyara hidup sahaja. That's all.

Syed Qutb adalah seorang sasterawan yang menulis buku Fi Zilalil Quran yang hebat, Mustafa Masyhur adalah seorang engineer yang menulis buku tentang dakwah dan contoh di Malaysia, kita ada Abu Urwah, engineer yang menulis 9 siri buku Risalah Usrah.

Apa pendapat anda?
.

"Awak ni cakap macam-macam pasal agama, nak jadi ustazah ke?"

Ah.. fahaman yang silap! Terlalu silap.

"Saye ni bukannye Ustazah, cuma nak nasihat sikit.."

Nasihat itu kan bagus, maka silakanlah. Kenapa perlu cakap 'saya bukan Ustazah'? Bukankah kita semua memang patut take care of each other?

"Awak pakai baju macam Ustazah lah".

Maksudnya? Ustazah seorang saja ke wajib tutup aurat?

Huhu, please wake up...
.

Saya tidak marah dengan kata-kata sebegitu. Tidak juga bergembira. Mungkin itu doa. Cuma saya sangat berharap dapat menjelaskan tentang apa yang saya kira sebagai salah faham.

Kita adalah muslim, tidak kiralah apa kerja kita dan jawatan kita. A muslim doctor, a muslim engineer, a muslim accountant etc. Islam itu milik semua orang, patut difahami semua orang dan menyeru islam & kebaikan itu adalah tugas semua orang, tanpa mengira berjawatan Ustazah atau bukan. Terpulanglah pada kita hendak mengaku hakikat ini atau tidak. Kita mengaku atau tak, tidak merubah apa-apa pun. Tanggungjawab ini memang sudah ada pun di bahu kita. Nothing changed.

By the way, this article is written by a medical student.

With all His mercy

I just finished my final exams.

It was... OK.

Hehhe. No further comments.

Hmmm.

When you've gone through restless days and sleepless nights, a breath of fresh air means a lot more than just oxygen going into your trachea to ventilate your lungs. Somehow, it all comes crashing down, reality hits like a bullet in the head. Then, you wonder what was the commotion all about anyway?

Because He PROMISES the best in everything for each and everyone of us. Because He KNOWS us. Because He KNOWS what's BEST for us. Because He CREATED us.

And then you dare to question His decisions?

"Dia mengetahui apa yang ada di hadapan mereka dan apa yang ada di belakang mereka, sedang ilmu mereka tidak dapat meliputi ilmu-Nya." (20:110)

He (Allâh) knows what happens to them in this world, and what will happen to them (in the Hereafter), but they will never compass anything of His Knowledge. (20:110)