bismillah..

2008 pantas berlalu, kini sudah hampir separuh habis. Itu lah masa, mengalir lebih laju dari deras air, lebih pantas dari kerdipan mata.
Amat beruntunglah orang beriman yang menggunakannya dengan amalan kebaikan, sentiasa bepesan pada kebenaran dan kesabaran.

Waktu separuh masa pertama selalunya tidak diendah. Bila tiba minit kecemasan barulah kita menyesali saat2 yang telah berlalu. Namun kita sedia tahu bahawa detik itu takkan berulang walaupun dibayar dengan seluruh kekayaan. Syukurilah nikmat masa.
Yesterday was a history, Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a gift. That's why it is called Present.

Alhamdulillah, Allah telah memudahkan urusan hamba2Nya yg sekadar merancang dengan masa. Setahun lalu dia merisik. Sebulan lalu kami diijabqabulkan. Seminggu lalu aku bertungkus lumus dengan report. Minggu hadapan aku libur. Bulan hadapan aku thesis. Masa dan perancangan memang bergandingan.

Di samping itu doa dan tawakkal juga perlu seiringan. Pergantungan dengan Qudrat dan Iradat Allah tak boleh lekang dari perancangan kita. Kejayaan atau kegagalan perancangan semuanya ketentuan Dia. Dan semestinya ujian buat kita, adakah kita bersyukur atau kufur jika berjaya, redha atau mengalah jika gagal.

Dengan nama Allah, aku bertawakkal atas nama Mu, Tiada sesuatu yang berkuasa selain Engkau. Aku serahkan segala usaha dan doaku. Engkau yang Mengetahui setiap rahsia alam, tentang masa depan, tentang baik dan buruknya. Aamiin

Crazy Spots I’ve Prayed


All the earth is a place of prostration,
Every field and meadow, mountain, park, city, farm plantation.
Every roadside, seaside, hillside, walkway,
Any place clean and green can be a place to pray
When I think of every path, where I've ever trot,
I laugh at all the crazy spots I stopped to worship God.
Remember that long car ride?
Driving all night so far,
Under the summer moon we pulled off to the side,
Reclining in the front seat of the car.

Waking to a fajr bird sound,
And washing in the coin car wash we found.
With the water blaster making wudhu,
You sprayed me and I sprayed you.

We stood so drowsy in the dawn,
Behind the car wash dripping on the lawn.

All the earth is a place of prostration,
Every field and meadow, mountain, park, city, farm plantation.
Every roadside, seaside, hillside, walkway,
Any place clean and green can be a place to pray
When I think of every path, where I've ever trot,
I laugh at all the crazy spots I stopped to worship God.

Saturday shopping day, in a busy mall and bustling through the aisles,
Where everyone's getting in my way.
Each blank zombie we shop and face forty smiles.

Time comes for prayer attack,
Grab a pair of pants or a sweater from the rack.
Find a changing room and latch the door,
Set aside excuses and hit the floor.

As I go back to the mall,
It's easier then to make sense of it all.

All the earth is a place of prostration,
Every field and meadow, mountain, park, city, farm plantation.
Every roadside, seaside, hillside, walkway,
Any place clean and green can be a place to pray
When I think of every path, where I've ever trot,
I laugh at all the crazy spots I stopped to worship God.

And our socks froze to the blanket,
That we spread over the snow,
Your call to prayer bounced off the trees and across the icy meadow.
Crisp and clean cold air, our hearts were so aware,
Our bodies felt the frozen freedom what a very cool place for prayer!

All the earth is a place of prostration,
Every field and meadow, mountain, park, city, farm plantation.
Every roadside, seaside, hillside, walkway,
Any place clean and green can be a place to pray
When I think of every path, where I've ever trot,
I laugh at all the crazy spots I stopped to worship God.

There was a time next to the river;
There was a time in the school hall.
There was that stairwell in that building,
There was that forest in the fall.
The movie house corridor,
The airplane kitchen in the sky.
So many places I'm sure there'll be more
Pieces of earth to testify.

All the earth is a place of prostration,
Every field and meadow, mountain, park, city, farm plantation.
Every roadside, seaside, hillside, walkway,
Any place clean and green can be a place to pray
When I think of every path, where I've ever trot,
I laugh at all the crazy spots I stopped to worship God.

I smiled, reminiscing my memories praying at these crazy spots! I love this song!

Pagi bening di Wageningen. Suria masih belum muncul. Aku kembali lagi melayari ruang internet di portal iluvislam yang sering kali padat dgn karya2 dari rakan2 seantero dunia. lantas terbaca perkongsian sorg hamba yang barangkali dari jepun. amat bagus isinya, analoginya berasas. di sini aku kongsikan penulisannya...

quote from zulhilmi, iluvislam.
Samurai-samurai yang hidup pada zaman feudal Jepun telah lama mengamalkan konsep ini iaitu hidup dengan tujuan untuk menyiapkan diri mereka menghadapi kematian. Mereka mempunyai satu code of honor yang dinamakan Bushido. Konsep ini lebih kurang sama dengan chivalry yang diamalkan oleh satria(knights) Eropah dalam zaman pertengahan (Middle Age). Bezanya satria Eropah pada waktu itu dikawal oleh pihak gereja yang sememangnya runtuh dengan nilai agama dan kemanusiaan.Saya begitu kagum dengan Bushido kerana saya melihat code of honor ini penuh dengan nilai-nilai yang sememangnya dianjurkan oleh Islam antaranya:

1. Samurai ini sangat taat setia kepada tuan yang memiliki mereka dan tidak akan belot kepada tuannya. Mereka lebih rela membunuh diri (seppuku) daripada belot. Kita sebagai umat Islam juga seharusnya taat setia kepada Tuan yang memiliki diri kita ini seperti mana samurai-samurai ini taat kepada tuan mereka. Kita tidak lain tidak bukan hanyalah hamba yang hina.
2. Sejak dari kecil lagi, golongan samurai ini dilatih untuk sentiasa memikirkan dan menyiapkan diri mereka untuk menghadapi kematian samada di medan perang ataupun di mana jua. Dari sini kita dapat lihat konsep Kamikaze yang diamalkan oleh mereka. Kalaulah umat Islam kita dididik dengan konsep yang sama dalam jihad, maka kita mungkin akan kekal menjadi umat yang unggul di masa ini.
3. Golongan samurai ini juga dilatih untuk sentiasa menjadi yang terbaik dalam apa sahaja kerja yang mereka lakukan untuk tuan mereka. Ini termasuklah dalam seni menyusun bunga (Ikebana) dan seni membancuh teh (sado)!.
4. Mereka berperang bermati-matian di atas medan tetapi dalam keadaan aman, mereka hidup dengan penuh harmoni dalam masyarakat. Kerja-kerja yang mereka lakukan termasuklah mengorek telaga, menyusun bunga, mengajar anak-anak tuan mereka membaca dan menulis kanji, serta melayan tetamu tuan-tuan mereka yang datang sebagai diplomat.
5. Mereka melayan tawanan perang mereka dengan penuh kehormatan dan maruah. Sekiranya mereka ingin membunuh tawanan perang mereka, mereka akan memancung kepala musuh tersebut dengan pedang mereka yang tajam. (Konsep ini sama dengan konsep yang dianjurkan oleh Islam - hukuman bunuh dalam Islam juga hanya boleh dilaksanakan melalui pancungan pedang, bukannya melalui tali gantung).
5. Samurai-samurai ini juga dibenarkan berkahwin dan berkeluarga.

aku juga ingin mempunyai semangat begini. tapi mmg masih lemah jihadnya. kadang2 naik kadang2 turun. sedih. sebal. tapi akhirnya tak buat apa2. kemudian rasa sesal mengundang lagi. lemahnya pendirian diri. pintaku, moga diteguhkan dan ditetapkan hati dalam agamaNya. aamiin.

Menilai gerakan dakwah selepas 50 tahun merdeka

Oleh BURHANUDDIN ABDUL JALAL

ISTILAH dakwah sama ada dilihat dari segi makna konsep ataupun praktikalnya, menjurus kepada keperluan sasarannya atau khalayak iaitu untuk membina masyarakat yang baik sama ada dari segi fizikal, mental dan juga spiritual. Keperluan untuk melihat semula istilah dan kefahaman dakwah dari semua sudut amat perlu sekali dengan tujuan untuk memperoleh hasil yang maksimum daripada matlamat murni konsep dakwah yang diperintahkan oleh Allah dalam kitab suci al-Quran.

Namun demikian, satu perkara yang penting dalam konsep dakwah Islamiah pada hari ini perlu dilihat kembali dari sudut konsep, tujuan dan aktiviti dakwah yang dilaksanakan. Ini tidak bermaksud untuk merubah makna dan matlamat dakwah yang jalankan tetapi bertujuan untuk melihat dari kecekapan (efektif) dan keberkesanan (efisien).

Institusi-institusi pengajian tinggi Islam yang di dalam ataupun di luar negara yang menjadi ‘kilang’ mengeluarkan graduan yang bakal menjadi pendakwah dalam masyarakat sudah pastinya telah melihat keperluan dan tuntutan masyarakat masa kini dalam usaha menyampaikan dakwah Islamiah dalam erti kata yang sebenar.

Berdasarkan kepada perkembangan mutakhir pada hari ini Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam (IPTA) dan juga Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Swasta (IPTS) di negara ini telah menubuhkan fakulti atau jabatan yang mengkhusus dalam bidang pengajian dakwah.

Di Fakulti Pengajian Islam Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) misalnya, terdapat Jabatan Pengajian Dakwah dan Kepimpinan sejak 1980, di Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) pula ditubuhkan Fakulti Kepimpinan dan Pengurusan. Begitu juga di lain-lain institusi pengajian Islam yang terdapat di negara ini.

Pengajian

Berdasarkan kurikulum yang terdapat di fakulti atau jabatan-jabatan yang menawarkan pengajian dakwah tersebut pada umumnya telah mengarahkan kurikulum dalam pengajian dakwah ke arah mengintegrasikan ilmu agama dengan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi masa kini.

Ini bertujuan menghasilkan graduan yang mampu mengharungi cabaran dalam pasaran pekerjaan (learning to be), mengetahui apa yang perlu diketahui oleh masyarakat industri, teknologi dan globalisasi (learning to think) dan juga graduan yang mampu untuk membina kesejahteraan diri sendiri dan masyarakat (learning to do).

Bagi memenuhi keperluan tersebut, kajian secara mendalam dan teliti perlu dilaksanakan oleh semua pihak merangkumi sudut organisasi, sumber manusia, organisasi ataupun dari sudut kemudahan atau prasarananya yang sedia ada pada hari ini. Untuk mencapai hasrat tersebut terdapat empat strategi yang perlu dilakukan;

a) Menyusun dan mengembangkan organisasi. Strategi ini bermaksud untuk meningkatkan kualiti, kecekapan dan merealisasi program pendidikan atau pengajaran serta hubungannya dengan masyarakat.

b) Menyusun dan mengembangkan kurikulum pengajian.

Strategi ini bertujuan untuk memenuhi tuntutan kurikulum dan mengintegrasikan ilmu agama (pengajian Islam) dengan ilmu pengetahuan teknologi sehingga dapat menghasilkan graduan yang mampu bersaing dalam pasaran pekerjaan.

c) Mengadakan serta mengembangkan peluang dan kemudahan dalam pendidikan.

Strategi ini bertujuan untuk memenuhi keperluan pengajian bagi melahirkan graduan yang memiliki kecekapan dan keterampilan yang sesuai dengan kompetensi alam pekerjaan.

d) Membentuk jaringan dan mengukuhkan hubungan.

Strategi ini untuk mendorong semua potensi yang ada untuk mewujudkan organisasi, institusi serta peningkatan sumber tenaga manusia keseluruhannya.

Selain dari itu apa yang lebih penting dalam usaha untuk berdakwah dengan lebih berkesan, kita perlu mengambil saranan Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi (2000), menyentuh aspek kematangan berdakwah, melalui bukunya yang berjudul, As-Sahwah Al-Islamiyyah Minal Murahaqah Ilal Rusyd, yang bermaksud Kebangkitan Islam: Dari Peringkat Keremajaan Ke Arah Kematangan.

Beliau menyebutkan yang berbunyi, “Akan tetapi, kebangkitan ini telah dicemari dengan pelbagai pencemaran yang mengeruhkan kesuciannya dan menambahkan kekeliruan terhadapnya serta merosakkan hakikatnya dan menyebabkan salah faham terhadap kehebatannya, yang mana kami katakan sebagai ‘Penyakit-penyakit kebangkitan ini’, yang mana wajib bagi kita merawatnya dan tidak membiarkannya dan membetulkannya dan tidak meninggalkannya begitu sahaja.”

Selain itu, sempena dengan sambutan ke-50 kemerdekaan negara, semua pihak dapat melihat kembali peranan dan usaha-usaha dakwah yang telah dilaksanakan dalam usaha membina modal insan yang berkualiti yang dapat berjuang dengan penuh komitmen dan bertanggungjawab bagi mempertahankan agama, bangsa dan negara.

Oleh itu, pesanan Yusuf al-Qaradhawi dalam bukunya itu tentunya dapat dijadikan panduan.

Antara lain Yusuf al-Qaradawi menyatakan, segalanya boleh dilihat dengan adanya gejala melampau, tergesa-gesa, terlalu sibuk dalam perkara berbentuk teknikal daripada sibuk dalam perkara asas, sibuk dalam berdebat daripada memberi dan melakukan amal.

“Di sini boleh dilihat pada beberapa kumpulan dakwah yang bersikap taksub dan tertutup, jumud dan taklid, menyusahkan dan menakutkan, mengikut emosi dan perasaan, mementingkan perkara furuk dan cabang lebih daripada perkara usul, dan menghalakan dakwahnya ke arah keganasan dan kekerasan daripada berlembut dan bersikap rahmat,” kata beliau.

Lantaran itu, dalam semangat kita menyambut 50 tahun kemerdekaan negara, ada baiknya para pendakwah dapat menghayati apa yang digariskan al-Qaradhawi dalam usaha untuk memacu usaha-usaha dakwah di negara ini.

10 cadangan Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi

* Daripada bentuk dan zahir, kepada hakikat dan asas.

* Daripada bercakap dan berdebat, kepada memberi dan beramal.

* Daripada beremosi dan berperasaan, kepada berakal dan berilmu.

* Daripada furuk dan cabang, kepada usul dan pokok.

* Daripada menyusahkan dan menakutkan, kepada memudahkan dan menggembirakan.

* Daripada jumud dan taklid, kepada ijtihad dan tajdid.

* Daripada taksub dan tertutup, kepada toleransi dan terbuka.

* Daripada melampau dan zalim, kepada sederhana dan adil.

* Daripada keras dan ganas, kepada lembut dan rahmat.

* Daripada berselisih dan berpecah, kepada berpadu dan bersatu.

Semoga kemerdekaan yang ke-50 tahun negara akan menambahkan lagi semangat dan komitmen pendakwah di Malaysia sesuai dengan kematangan usia negara kita.

* MEJAR BURHANUDDIN ABDUL JALAL ialah Pegawai Kor Agama Angkatan Tentera (Kagat) yang kini melanjutkan pengajian di peringkat Doktor Falsafah di Jabatan Pengajian Dakwah dan Kepimpinan, Fakulti Pengajian Islam, UKM, Bangi.

salaam

It's already my forth day in Wageningen. And I have spent in toto €285.30!! All for the sake of settling in. I got a nieuw fiets voor €125 on Wednesday, and there rest were all kitchen stuff, food and 3 pairs of shoes. I got to say, things are tres expensive here!. I have opened a bank account but I cannot deposit any money because they were all in USD and TC form. oh~
I need to go to Amsterdam, or they said the nearest place is Anherm, to get my money to Euro cash. Si non, j'irai pouvre!!

I have received an email on Thurday from my Studiee adviser, Dr Ir Guusje Bonnema. Surprised by the Ir title, she/he is not an engineer. Here in Universiteit Wageningen, you can get an Ir by being a plant scientist. How cool is that! And I plan to do so :P. I have to meet him/her next thursday to discuss my future plan in WUR, ie. what subjects to take. She/he seems like a very helpful lady/gentleman.

I have made new friends here, not hard to do so. On Vrijdaag, Kak huda said they always have a "pengajian". I spared sometimes and attend the pengajian and alhamdulillah, I got myself a "foster" family. Mbak Adi from Indonesia is a very2 helpful lady. After the halaqah, she fervently invited us to stay for dinner. So we had a delicious Opor ayam..and I made friends with her multi-lingual brilliant daughter, Adhelia. She can speak  Bahasa Indonesia and Dutch fluently, she can understand english but can't verbalize it. And she's only 5!!! Masyaa ALlah! She's soo in love with language, which made me more attached to her coz I'm a lingua-phile :) She made me demonstrate saying "Apa Khabar/How do you do?" in French, Arabic and Japanese..and she was soo excited. We went home late at night, at around 10 pm, but with satiated stomach and feeling at home already :)

salaam

The topic was deliberately written in Dutch. Yes, Dutch. Why, you asked? Alhamdulillah, I safely arrived in Wageningen, The Netherlands this morning at 715 am. I had an ok journey..except when the plane passed through some big clouds and caused quite a turbulance, I had motion sickness until the Dutch couple who sat beside me were so worried that they called the stewards to attend me. Haha, i just couldn't find the puke bag. Nevertheless, their impulsive reaction gave a positive impression upon Dutch people; they are very friendly  and helpful to foreigners. After I regained my sanity, we chatted about the language and the weather and they offered me gum and peppermints...until the pilot announced that we were approaching Schiphol Airport and about to land. The friendly couple were very eager to let me peered through the window to have a bird's eye view of the flat and green Nederland. I thought it looked very similar to the central part of the US.

We landed safely alhamdulillah, and Huda, being in Business class (lucky her!) waited for me outside. Immigration procedure was a swift (compared to the US!) and before I realized, there came Abang aznan, kak huda's husband fetched us from the airport. We took the trein to Ede-Wageningen and then a bus to the small, quiet city of Wageningen. Agak terhegeh2 la kami mengheret luggage yang sama besar dengan tuan nya itu..
We were welcome by Kak Huda and very shy-at-first Adam, and had a warm cup of tea. Being a kid-lover, I managed to befriend Adam after a sometimes.
Then we went to the Centrale Studenten Admin to register ourselves and go to our Dorms. We got the Bornsesteeg dorm, but we were not given the international corridor, which means we have to share WC and shower (yikes!). Luckily, we got our petite stove inside the room, so we can play cook2..
I was placed on the 18th floor, believe me, gayat bile tgk bawah..and Huda settled in 15th floor. Takpe la..still can go out together..I have a very nice view of the city, while Huda can usha people jogging and swimming ('o') at the sport center...
We went back to Kak Huda's cute abode and had our lunch. Then in the evening, we went back to Bornsesteeg. We did a little shopping at C1000, bought a very plain sesame biscuit, honey and plain water. It was very hard to determine the "halality" of the product coz the ingredients are in Dutch ou francais! Je pourrais les lire mais je ne comprend rien! Tanda K or U pun takde..huhu..Jadi harus rujuk kepada yg pakar...

I didn't have my bedsheet yet so I spent the evening in Huda's room. We plan apa nak buat esok, pukul 7 ptg je dah ngantuk x igt sbb malaysia time tu dah pukul 1 pagi. Jadi kami pun tewas..lalu tertidur lah sehingga jam 1 pagi (7 pagi Malaysia). We woke up for Isya Maghrib then continued tido until 4.45 to solat subuh....

I like this one Astro commercial where it shows this one primary teacher and her students and how she ended the show by saying, "Sometimes i wonder, who's the teacher and who's the student."
Being an academician myself, and having handled one course last semester (well, unofficially), I learnt a lot from my students. When I was in Madison, I volunteered teaching tilaawah al-Qur'aan in the Islamic Center. I had three students, two of whom are at least 10 years older than me. I did not consider myself as a teacher to them, of course, due to their seniority. Some times after "class" we chat about our principles in some things, exchanged opinions and share experiences. They  really helped me to learn about life and living. I am thankful that I didn't only get a degree in my four years in Madison, but I also learn about a whole lot of things, which I don't think students in Malaysia get.
Last weekend I was offered to be a facilitators in a preparatory program in INTEC. It didn't take me long to say YES. I almost immediately agree ( after Kak Teh agreed to go with me, because I'm a novice driver, going to Shah Alam is a big challenge for me). It was a program under KRIM, which was specially organized for ADFP 13 students. My, I felt really grown up, well, of course, but it has been 6 generations already! (I was in ADFP 7 aka ATU 7). As I made my entrance towards Cemara College, the memories gushed into my brain. Even though the place has some improvements, but still, I could vividly visualize having meetings with the ATU biro Tarbiyah's member, going to ceramahs in the surau...
We had our first meeting in Dewan Seminar Kolej Cemara. I could sense the excitement from the participants. Who wouldn't, they are only a few weeks shy of embarking on a great journey! I can't deny that I felt jealous of them but hey, I had my chance already and I am very happy with it alhamdulillah  :)
The program was awesome. I wish I had the same when I was at their stage. They had the opportunity of learning not only in preparing physically, but also mentally and spiritually. The climax of my gratefulness was when I had the chance to meet the owner of saifulislam.com blog, ustaz Hasrizal. I sometimes read his writings online and he didn't sound any different from his journals. He shared stories, experiences and knowledge with the participants and I learned a lot. There were so many Fiqh rulings related to travelers that I didn't now before. When Ustaz explained that about the equal important of learning syariatullah and sunnatullah, I couldn't help but cried out of awe and gratefulness to Allah. I am also impressed with his personality, the way he deliver his ideas, the analogies he used in addressing the talk. He uses the simple process flow diagram (maybe familiar among the ChemE) to give a picture in how a decision is made. If I have time i will elaborate on that in a different entry, insya Allah.
I really enjoyed he program, being a facilitator and also a participant at the same time. I learnt from the students and the speakers and I hope I have shared somethings that i think were crucial for me and have helped me survive my four years in the US. All the best, my sisters. I hope that you will a splendid years ahead, sculpting the personality and the person you want to be in the future. Make friends, learn about life, love and most importantly, yourself.

Aku hamba yang banyak dosa.
Aku hamba yang lupa.
Aku hamba yang banyak pinta.
Aku hamba yang mengaku cinta tapi
Aku hamba yang mungkir cinta.

tapi Dia tak pernah kisah.
Dia bagi semua sama rata.
Dia kabulkan doa hamba.
Dia bagi peluang kedua ketiga.
Dia memang Maha segala.

Aku dapat pergi oversea
Dapat belajar tinggi-tinggi
Dapat jodoh baik budi pekerti
Dapat kerja elok-elok

Aku renung, fikir, hitung, gali.
Layakkah aku terima semua ini?
Kesenangan, kemudahan
Apa nak semua dapat

Hinanya aku..hamba yang paling hina..
Kalau aku tak kenang dan syukur
Kalau malam-malam hari aku hanya penuh dengkur
Harap esok masih ada..(kalau tak ada?)

Layak kah aku ni jadi hambaNya?
Layak kah aku menerima nikmatNya?

Ya Allah..ini lah ujian yang paling berat untuk ku
UJIAN NIKMAT

Many Muslims believe that what they are going to do is caused by what has already been written in Al-Lauhulmahfudz - they confuse 'causation' with 'association'. In truth what we have is association, not causation. What we do is not caused by what is written by Allah. Allah with His ultimate knowledge knew what we are going to do. He could easily have put the good-doers into Jannah and the evil-doers into the Hellfire. But Allah is Adil (Just) so He created us in this life as to test us which way to go. What we are going to do will match what has already been written but it's not a matter of causation - what we do is out of our own willingness and ability and we do have full responsibility on whatever choice we make.

Looking at guidance and misguidance, guidance (hidayah) is a gift (rahmah) from Allah. It is Allah who created us and gave us the mind so we can distinguish between right and wrong to a certain capacity. It is Allah who equipped us with fitrah to like the truth and good and to dislike the wrong and evil It is Allah who gave us the ability and power to do things and it is Allah who sent the Messenger with the Message to guide us in things, which are beyond the reach of our conception. So when it comes to guidance it is a bounty from Allah.

But when it comes to misguidance, it has to do with us. When we do bad deeds, it is from our own willingness and ability.

Those who turn away from guidance do so because they want to turn away, i.e. they choose not to be guided. They have been misguided because they are arrogant - they refuse to listen.

And so when they swerved from the right way, Allah let their hearts swerve from the truth.
[Surah As-Saff (61): ayat 5]

Nevertheless there are people who have not received the Message of Islam/guidance at all or the Message has not reached them in the clearest form, i.e. it is incomplete or distorted. These people are called Ahlul Fatrah and will be excused and not be punished, even though there are misguided.

There are certain situations where we can do something about our qadar . For example:

• Illness/sickness is qadar - but we have been commanded by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam , to look for a cure should we become ill. Finding a cure is also qadar . Thus, a qadar could be dealt with through another qadar .
• If something unfortunate happens to us, e.g. if we lost our job, we don't just say that it's qadar and do nothing about it. We look for another job, the consequence of which is another qadar .

'Umar bin al-Khattab was traveling with a group of Sahabahs during his Khilafah (leadership). They were coming to a town when they heard that it had a contagious/infectious disease, i.e. cholera. 'Umar asked his group whether they should proceed or go back (to Madinah). The majority of the Sahabahs said they should go back but some said they should proceed. Then one Sahabi said he knew a hadith where the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said, "If you hear that this disease exists in a country, don't travel to that country." So 'Umar decided that they should go back. Another Sahabi (it seems from the second group) asked him whether he was running away from a qadar . 'Umar replied that they were moving away from one qadar to another qadar .

Thus, whenever there is a problem, a challenge or any hardship which we can remove, overcome, solve or minimize, it is a must that we do so. Some scholars like al-Imam al-Jilani use the term: "overcoming qadar " in this regard.

In one hadith , the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam , said, "Be keen for whatever is beneficial for you. Seek the help of Allah. And don't be reckless." This hadith implies we must make the effort. The right concept of qadar is: we are responsible for whatever we do.

For example: If we were to drive recklessly and caused an accident where someone died or was injured, we cannot simply say that it is qadar , abusing the concept to justify our mistakes. It is qadar that the incident took place because it is by the permission of Allah. But we are responsible for the death because it is through our willingness and ability that it happened. That's why in the courts we will be found guilty. If qadar can be used as an excuse, then many crimes will go unpunished - a thief can simply claim that his stealing was qadar !

Those who abuse the concept of qadar are those who fail to be responsible. They abuse it to justify their failure. The correct way of using qadar as an excuse is: if someone exerts himself to do his best to fulfil an obligation but due to an unavoidable circumstance, which was out of his control, he could not achieve that obligation - then he might be excused. For example, a student has studied hard for an exam but on the day of the exam he falls sick and does poorly or cannot even attend the exam, then he can say that it is qadar and that it is the will of Allah.

When it comes to religious obligations, the matter is the same. We cannot blame qadar for committing sins or failing to do a wajib as some Muslims might do. We have to know that we are responsible. We might get into a weak status of Iman in doing a sin or delaying a wajib . Islam is such a practical religion that it gives us room for repentance and getting back to the right path.

alhamdulillah, yesterday was a special day.


 

I looked at mama and abah. They seemed happy. I hope i made them happy. It's their responsibilty of finding somebody for me. Alhamdulillah, I helped them in doing that responsibilty, insyaa Allah.
I looked at abah and mama. They smiled, as if they were reminiscing their sweet memories when they first met the parents. I hope I made them relieved that I finally found somebody, alhamdulillah.
I looked at abah and mama. I now feel that I love them, more than anything in this world. I just now pray I could make them happy as long as I live. I am lucky to have even half of abah and mama's happiness in their marriage, the way the brought us up until we are what we are now. Ima sayang mama abah!