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