Cinta Hati Ibu

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh Syaima', Sumayyah, Nuh Al-'Awwadi dan Hud Al-Qushayyi yang dicintai kerana Allah. Ibu menulis warkah ini untuk tatapan anakanda semua walaupun ibu telah dipanggil Allah anakanda semua dapat membacanya dari hati dengan izin Allah. Ibu mohon maaf kerana ibu bukanlah ibu yang sempurna buat anak-anak ibu. Banyak kekurangan dan kelemahan ibu. Moga Allah ampunkan segala dosa dan kekhilafan ibu. Ibu bersyukur sangat Allah kurniakan Syaima', Sumayyah, Nuh Al-'Awwadi dan Hud Al-Qushayyi kepada ibu. Cinta ibu semua tercurahkan kepada kalian semua selepas Allah dan Rasul. Alhamdulillah Allah sayangkan kita kerana itu Allah menguji kita sehingga titik terendah kita bilamana kita kembali berusaha untuk memahami Islam dengan melaksanakan ubudiah iaitu perhambaan diri kepada Allah dengan menjadikan Allah sebagai matlamat kita secara total dan Rasulullah saw sebagai contoh tauladan, Al-Quran sebagai panduan dan peta kehidupan dan mati di jalan Allah sebagai cita-cita tertinggi. Anak-anakku dunia ini bukanlah segala-galanya. Dunia ini boleh menjangkiti kita dengan sifat wahn iaitu cinta dunia dan takut mati. Gerak hati kita, tingkah laku tatakelola kehidupan segalanya kita sandarkan kepada Allah, Rabb pemilik jagat raya dan semua manusia keseluruhannya. Andai tersasar apabila tekad dicemari lumpur dosa dan noda kita ada Allah yang akan menyambut taubat kita. Allah sentiasa membuka pintu kepada setiap manusia seluas-luasnya lebih-lebih lagi bagi mereka yang berjuang semampu mungkin untuk melaksanakan Islam dalam kehidupan. Hakikatnya, kita benar-benar dan amat memerlukan Allah. Wallahu a'lam bissowab. pen off 01/02/2024

Dakapan Kalamullah

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim Ya Allah, aku memohon hanyasanya kepada-Mu. Aku bersyukur dihadiahkan ujian demi ujian untukku kembali mendakapiMu ya Rahman ya Rahim. Tidak dapat kuungkapkan kesyukuran yang melimpah atas dakapanMu menuntunku kepada kalamMu. Benarlah niat itu suis utamanya. Akanku manfaatkan setiap ruang dan peluang usiaku yang berbaki ini untuk mendekatiMu, mengenal, mencintai dan mentaatiMu dalam setiap helaan nafasku, dalam setiap gerak langkahku in shaa Allah. Jauhkan aku dari sebarang fitnah dunia dan tipu daya yang menipu. Aku mencintaiMu ya Rabb. Pimpinlah aku dan anakanda-anakandaku serta ahli keluargaku ke jalan yang Engkau redha. Tuntunilah kami dan kurniakan kami hidayah dalam melaksanakan tuntutan amal Islami dengan sepenuh jiwa raga bagi semata-mata mendamba RedhaMu. Selebihnya aku serahkan asbab-asbab ini, doa seluruhnya kepadaMu dengan tawakkal yang kusandarkan hanya kepadaMu semata-mata. In shaa Allah. Wallahu a'lam bissowab. Pen off 24/01/2024 1.29 AM.

Historical Development of Islamic Banking and Finance

By Prof Dr Rusni Hassan
In order to understand the Islamic banking framework, it is paramount to look first to the historical background of Islamic banking. It all started in the early Arab period in which during this time, most of Arabian residents, particularly in Makkah and Madinah, earned their living through commercial dealings and transactions. Makkah and Madinah were respectively the centre of international trade and agriculture in the region. Most of the people earned their living through commercial activities as traders and merchants. Thus, the practice of speculation was rampant, e.g on the rates of exchange, the load of a caravan which one tried to purchase, the yield of harvests.

Fictitious associations were formed and sale were contracted on which loans were made. It was during this time that oppression and manipulation were rampant. The wealthy merchants took advantage of the weaker traders and as a result, wealthy only circulated in the hands of the rich. The practice of riba, iktinaz (hoarding), ihtikar (monopoly), and the practice of some transactions which is associated with gambling such as bay' al-mulamasah, and bay' al-munabazah were present. Bay' al-mulamasah is a sale which is concluded by the buyer touching the asset, whereas bay' al-munabazah is a sale which is concluded when the buyer throws the stone on the subject matter. Both are prohibited due to the element of uncertainty in the contract. The people in the weaker position or the less fortunate were constantly cheated and oppressed.

Thus, what was seen during this time was the  rich become richer and the poor continued to be poorer. The coming of Islam had imposed certain regulations in the conduct of their daily commercial transactions. Islam does not prohibit trade but encouraged Muslims to work hard without violating any Islamic teachings. Islam had changed the perception of the society about the concept of the creation, management and distribution of wealth. Islam teaches that the real ownership belongs to Allah the Almighty alone. The concept of wealth as a trust and amanah from God imposing certain accountability factors and both moral and religious conscience are instilled in every individual. However, Islam also recognizes the de facto ownership of a persons over things (private ownership) and the temptation to create wealth as part and parcel of human nature. Therefore, Islam promotes honesty, transparency, justice, and fairness in acquiring ownership and it is vital to safeguard the rights of others while at the same time, protect the rights of the community and the state at large.

In order to harmonise between safeguarding the rights of an individual and at the same time, protecting the interest of the community at large, Islam has introduced certain reforms in the form of trade and commerce such as establishing general principles of contract which are in accordance with the Shariah principles. This was done by scrutinising the existing contracts and eliminating any elements which are not in line with the Islamic principles and declares such contracts to be permissible. In the event where a contract applying or practising any elements which are contrary to Shariah principles and it is not modifiable, then such contracts are declared  as not permissible and void. Some examples of permissible contract would be sale, mudharabah, musharakah, hawalah, and istisna' and examples of a prohibited contract  would be contracts with the elements of riba.

Islamic Banking and Finance was initiated more than forty years ago during an earlier Arab period. However, the modern experience with Islamic banking only started in the early 1960s in Egypt. The pioneer for the first modern experiment with Islamic banking was the Mit-Ghamr Islamic Savings Bank pioneered by Ahmad El-Najjar. The whole experiment was done on the quiet without projecting any Islamic image for fear of being seen as a manifestation of Islamic fundamentalism, which could be associated with certain political regimes. The whole experiment started with a form of savings bank based on profit-sharing in the Egyptian town of Mit-Ghamr in 1963 and only lasted until 1967. It was model after the German savings banks adapted to the rural environment of an Islamic developing country.

The major objective of this bank is to mobilise the idle savings of the majority of the Muslim Egyptian population and provide them with returns without having to breach any teachings of the Shariah. Between this time, there were nine banks in Egypt that did not charge nor paid interest and most of the investors were engaged in trade and industry directly or in partnership with others, and shared profits with their depositors. In February 1967, the bank's operation came to an end due to political reasons. However, during the short period of the operation, the problems of rural indebtedness were reduced and borrowers no longer relied o the local moneylenders and the non-Islamic banks which charger on agreed amount of high interest which is not in line with the Islamic teachings.

Another successful experiment on Islamic banking and finance can be seen in Malaysia with the introduction with of the Pilgrims Fund Corporation or Lembaga Urusan Tabung Haji (LUTH) in 1963. The main purpose of this fund is to enable the Muslims in Malaysia to save gradually in order to support their expenditure during Hajj (pilgrimage). Other than that, LUTH also allows Muslims to have active and effective participation in investment activities that are permissible in Islam through their savings. LUTH takes up the responsibility to safeguard the interest and welfare by providing numerous facilities to pilgrims during the pilgrimage.

The Nasser Social Bank was later established in Egypt in 1971, not as a profit-oriented institution but as a social bank to serve the previously "unbankable" low group of people. This was followed by the establishment of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in 1973 by the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) as an intergovernmental bank aimed at providing funds for development projects in member countries. The IDB provides fee-based financial services and profit-sharing financial assistance to member countries. The Islamic Bank of Dubai became the first Islamic commercial bank in 1975 and in the following years, a number of Islamic banks were established mainly in the Middle East such as the Islamic Bank of Faisal in Egypt (1977), the Islamic Bank of Faisal Jordan (1978), Bank of Islamic Finance and Investment in Jordan (1978) and Islamic Investment Company Ltd. in UAE (United Arab Emirates) (1979).

In July 1996, Citibank marked a major advance in Islamic banking into the mainstream of high finance in expanding its operations by being the first international bank to open an Islamic bank in Bahrain, making it the first money-centred bank to set upon Islamic institutions. With an initial capitalisation of $20 million, the Citibank's Islamic banking facility, known as Citi Islamic Investment intermediaries with a range of products and services developed in compliance with the Islamic Shariah and sound banking practices. It was reported that CIIB had allowed Citibank to develop an internal Islamic banking expertise which can be put to use not only in the Gulf, but in South Asia, Europe and as well as in North America. http://www.articlearchives.com/banking-finance/banking institutions-system/1477712-1.html

The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) was established in 1991 as an international autonomous not-profit corporate body. AAOIFI is responsible for developing accounting, auditing, ethics, governance and Shariah standards for the international Islamic banking and finance industry. With its corporate office in Bahrain, the AAOIFI is supported by over 160 financial institutions in over 40 countries. AAOFI Governance Standard 5 .

The AAOIFI played an important role in the development of Islamic banking and financial institutions due to established international standards for the industry. As at 2008, it had issued a total of sixty-eight standards for the industry which includes the Shariah standards, auditing standards, six governance standards and code of ethics. Also, among the sixty-seven standards issued by the AAOIFI include recommendation on Tawarruq (monetisation), indices and banking services, accounting standards on consolidation, governance standard on the independence of the Shariah supervisory board and governance principles for the Islamic financial institutions. It is said that AAOIFI's position in the industry is explicable. They are not only responsible for the physical growth of the Islamic banking industry but, at the same time, accountable to God to their decision. AAOIFI had taken proper initiatives to maintain the international standards used in the industry.

The standards issued by AAOIFI had been made mandatory as part of the Islamic banking an finance regulatory requirements in jurisdiction such as Bahrain, Dubai International Financial Centre, Jordan, Sudan, Syria, Qatar and Qatar Financial Centre. Although it is not made mandatory in other countries, but more and more countries such as Malaysia, Pakistan, Lebanon, Indonesia, UAE and Saudi Arabia have opted to adopt those standards.

Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) was the full- fledged Islamic bank in Malaysia established in 1983. The success of LUTH had enabled its contribution of 12.5% of BIMB's initial paid-up capital of RM80 million. The establishment of BIMB was made possible by virtue of Islamic Banking Act 1983 (Act 276/ which came into force in 1983. This Act allows for setting up and licensing of "Islamic banks". Islamic banks are defined as "any company which carries on Islamic Banking business and holds valid licence". "Islamic banking business" was further defined in Section 2 of the Islamic Banking Act 1983 as "banking business whose aims and operations do not involve any elements which are not approved by the religion of Islam".

BIMB carries out banking business similar to other commercial banks without breaching any Shariah principles. The banks offers deposit-taking products such as current and savings deposits under the concept of Al-Wadiah Yad Dhamanah (guaranteed custody) and investment deposits under the concept of Al-Wadiah Yad Dhamanah (guaranteed custody) and Al-Mudharabah (profit-sharing). The bank also grant financing under Al -Murabahah (cost plus), house financing under Bai' Bithaman Ajil  (deferred payment sale), leasing under Al-Ijarah (leasing) and project financing under Al-Musharakah (profit and loss-sharing). At present, BIMB's total assets rose from RM325.5 million in 1984 to RM27.48 billion. Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad and its subsidiaries. Financial statements for the financial year ended 30 Jue 2009. As of April 2009, it was reported that the assets of the global Islamic finance industry were estimated to grow to around $ 1.6 trillion by 2012. Islamic finance assets seen at $ 1.6 trln by 2012.


Reference: Rusni Hassan. (2011). Islamic Banking and Takaful. : Pearson Malaysia Sdn Bhd 2012.

The origins and  development of Islamic Banking and Finance

note: jazakillahu khayran kathira and thank you so much ma'am, dr rusni hassan for your thorough guidance during the whole learning sessions of Islamic Banking and Takaful course. May Allah bless you. amiin. May this will instruct us in the next course of al-mu'amalat al-maliyah wal masrafiah al-islamiah and henceforth inshaallah. 

Wallahu a'lam bissowab.

1 Muharram 1434 Hijriyyah

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe. May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon Muhammad sallallahi 'alaihi wasallam, his household, his companions, callers to his call, and followers of his way until the Day of Judgement.

Dear all,
Salam Hijrah & 1st Muharram 1434 Hijriyyah.

Alhamdulillah, highest praises go to Allah swt for having this happened! May Allah swt accept all our deeds and keep us guided all the time. Allahumma amiin.

Thank you and Jazakumullahu Khayran Kathira to my parents, dear mak & abah who are very instrumentalling in my life until I reached the stage who am I today. Alhamdulillah.

Things to ponder..............let's be thankful, forgive and forget....

Allah knows best! Alhamdulillahillazi bini'matihi tatimmus solihah and alhamdulillah 'ala kulli hal wa nikmah. What was specially enjoyable about last 1433 Hijriyyah? Alhamdulillah, my mak, abah, wan, embah, onyang, siblings and all families were happy all the time and love me fillah ^_^, I had met those beloved people who are so special in my life biiznillah. I am pleased to have opportunities to attend many advantageous programs here and outside the campus and being surrounded with all my beloved trainers (all murrabi & murrabiah) and colleagues. We are accompanying each other and takmil wa istikmal biiznillah. I am pleased to be here again, in this garden of knowledge and virtue. Thank you Allah! Alhamdulillah, it's so wonderful. Subhanallah, walhamdulillah wallahu akbar!

However, all pleasures and difficulties are both tests in our life. Uneasy incident had happened recently. I never thought this would happened here. In writing this post, it is indeed signifies how worry my heart is! We are going through trauma. We are not free as before. Indeed, Allah wants to save our dignity, honor and life! Allah knows best. Nothing is difficult for Allah. Allah Al-Mu'iin (Allah is the Helper) who always be here and there to assist His servant. Ask Him! Qul 'uduuni astajib lakum!

Allahumma afrigh 'alaina sabron watawaffana bil muslimin. May Allah ease everything for us all. amiin ya rabbal 'alamin.

Last semester was the period which I enjoyed most. I really miss them all. Being surrounded with friends who were really fantastic make me ponder how's tough and rough life is as Mu'min. Their sharing on what we are expected to do, be well-prepared often reminds me how's importance the friendliness for the sake of Allah (ukhuwwah fillah lillah taala). Now, it still the same alhamdulillah. May Allah enlighten our path with hidayah and iman so that we will manage to realize the vision and mission as 'abdullah (Allah's servant) and khalifatullah (Allah's vicegerent). Inshaallah.

While observing others, everyone have their own test. My beloved friends had lost their beloved father, uncle and etc. Innalillahi wainna ilaihi rajioun. May Allah bless them all. amiin. For us, who are still here, in seeking Allah's pleasures in each single phases of our life, we have to be patient, always having the Islamic spirits and passion, be attentive and face all the problems and solve it in the best ways as prescribed in the Qur'an and Sunnah, ask those who experts and keep looking the positives and be optimistic. Don't just facebook it ^_^ or do not ever facebook it. Let's handle it well. This nice reminders specially goes for me. Let's cheer up for Allah's sake and emulate our beloved habib, Prophet Muhammad saw and the Muslim heroes and heroins in the past who had struggled hard to uphold Islam in this universe. Inshaallah.

May Allah facilitate us well! Rabbana la tuzi'gh qulubana ba'da iz hadaitana wahablana min ladunka rahmah, innaka antal wahhab. Rabbana atina min ladunka rahmah wahayyi' lana min amrina rasyada. Allahumma ati nufusana taqwaha, wa anta zaqqiha wa anta khayra man zaqqaha anta walliyuha wa anta mawlaha. Rabbana atina fiddunya hasanah wa fil akhirati hasanah wa qina 'adzaban nar. Allahumma amiin.

Barakallahu fiikum ajma'in.
Uhibbukum fillah.

Let's permanently embedded LAILAHAILLALLAH MUHAMMADUN RASULULLAH deeply in our heart. It's a sunnah of Prophet Rasulullah saw to say LAILAHAILLALLAH MUHAMMADUN RASULULLAH to increase in IMAN in order to keep the remembrance of ALLAH subhanahu wataala.

 May ALLAH grant us all HIDAYAH, IMAN, 'ILM & TAQWA which will lead to 'AMAL with IHSAN. May ALLAH accept our deeds. Allahumma amiin.

note: Alhamdulillah, it's so nice ^_^ I was not expecting this was the nasheed theme for the wonderful and instructive Muslim Heroes Conference 2012 (IIUM) yesterday. Mabrook & Barakallahu fiikum ajma'in to Talib Al-Habib & all the inspiring speakers & all the crews of MHC! Alhamdulillah! As usual, I really miss my beloved bro, Muhammad Hanif Hassan! Barakallahu fiik ya akhi.


Question to reflect, what's next?

Wallahu a'lam bissowab.

Characteristics of Islamic Shari'ah

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe. May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon Muhammad sallallahi 'alaihi wasallam, his household, his companions, callers to his call, and followers of his way until the Day of Judgement.

Assalamua'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Alhamdulillah, biizinillah I had came across with an instructive book entitled Al Islam Syariah Azzaman Wal Makan i.e ISLAM The Law of Life written by 'Abdullah Nasih 'Ulwan, a Professor of Islamic Studies. This English edition had been published by Dar Al-Salam.

I found the importance of discussing on points described by the author. It's so paramount as all humanity is in a pressing need for a governing system that can solve the problems of the people and organize their in between relationships; however, the man-made laws failed to attain these aims.

Allah, Exalted be He, created mankind and knows well what can achieve every good thing to humanity. Thus, He revealed the laws (Islamic Shari'ah) that can attain these aims. What remains is to follow and activate these laws practically.

The Qur'an confirms its eternity and completeness. Allah declares in Sura Al-Ma'idah, verse 3:

This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.

This book illustrates the characteristics of the Islamic law and its preference over any positive law enacted by man. These characteristics have been acknowledged by the test of time and the testimony of reality i.e the latest theories of law and the testimony of international conferences. Furthermore, this book makes a just comparison between Islam and Christianity, and clarifies the characteristics, nature, and aim of each religion.
It highlights for Muslims nowadays that when their forefathers believed in Islam as a religion and a state, worship and policy, governing system and way of life, they achieved glory and victory. authority, elevation, and established the highest level of civilization in history.

Allah azza wajalla says in the Qur'an in Sura Al-Ahzab, verse 36:

It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error.

Allah is Ever-Knowing of everything. He legislates laws that are suitable for His creatures' circumstances and nature. Allah, the Almighty says in Sura Al-Mulk, verse 14:

Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves) All-Aware (of everything).

And, wonderfully, Allah intends for us a simplicity, rationality and ease. As Allah says in Sura Al-Baqarah, verse 185:

Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make difficult for you.

There are ten Characteristics of Islamic Shari'ah being discussed here. Alhamdulillah.

I. Divinity
II. Universality
III. Comprehensiveness
IV. Development and Renewal
V. Balance between the Worldly Life and the Hereafter
VI. Balance between the Interest of the Individual and the Community
VII. Simplicity, Ease, and Rationality
VIII. Completeness, Seal, and Hegemony
IX. Originality and Eternity
X. Absolute Justice.

It is distinguished by divinity because it is a revelation from Allah. It is also distinguished by universality because it is for all mankind. It is also distinguished by comprehensiveness because it was revealed to be a way of life. It is also distinguished by development because it meets the needs of people in all times and places. It is also distinguished by eternity because it is comprised of teachings which are suitable for all times, until the end of the world.

Virtually, I had attracted with the way demonstrated by this author in expressing the need to comprehend the Islamic Shari'ah as the law of life well. He initiated his work by posing problem of many youths do not recognize the contents of Islamic Shari'ah and  its characteristics i.e divinity, universality, comprehensiveness, renewal and continuity. They failed to understand that Islam is a governing system, a constitution of state, a way of life, and the perfect system for any nation. Unfortunately, they think that the message and aim of Islam, like other religions, is confined to the Mosque, refining one's self, elevating one's soul, and reforming one's morality.

In fact, it is a great source of joy and happiness for Muslims to find believers throughout the Muslim world calling proudly:

"We want Islam to be the system by which we are ruled, the approach of life, and the Qur'an to be the law and constitution for the state. We wish to regainour glory and honor."
 
In the midst of these calls, there are other hostile calls, which are declared by agents of Kuffar who accuse Islam of apathy, backwardness, under development and delusion.

The author expounds in his writing that these agents are either malicious orientalists, mean atheists, sly crusaders, evil Zionists, ignorant communists or ignoble colonists. Unfortunately, some ignorant Muslims, who have little or no knowledge about Islam, except its name, have been driven by these biased calls. Too often, they even support them. They willingly believe their allegations without realizing the facts, or recognizing the dimensions of the accusations and plots.

In his view, if these supporters, who have been influenced by this intellectual invasion, could find someone to guide them to the right path, expose the real facts, and unfold the intricately beautiful concepts of Islam with regard to the cosmos, life and man, they will surely refuse all false claims and accusations. They will also return to a sound belief in Islam as both a religion and a state, a belief and a policy, and moreover they will become callers and fighters in its cause.

We must recognize and believe in Islamic great value and the teachings of the Qur'an. We will have no choice except to return to the way of the true, sincere Muslims upon which thee glory of Islam is based, the unity of Muslims is kept firm, and Islam is spread throughout the whole world. Nothing is difficult for Allah.

http://kitaabun.com/shopping3/product_info.php?products_id=1985

note: jazakallahu khairan kathira my beloved brother, Akhi Muhammad Hanif Hassan :)
in malay, we say 'terima kasih daun keladi, semoga Allah berkati!'
Barakallahu fiik.

Barakallahu fiikum.
Wallahu a'lam bissowab.

Hikmah DIDIK

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Alhamdulillah syukur di atas rahmat dan kasih sayang Allah. Selawat dan Salam ditujukan kepada Rasulullah saw, ahli keluarga dan sahabat Baginda, para tabii’n, para tabi’ tabii’in serta seluruh umat Islam yang memperjuangkan syi’ar Islam.

Alhamdulillah Allah masih kurniakan modal kehidupan kepada kita semua. Alhamdulillah, sangat bersyukur Allah pilih mendidik, dididik dan terdidik disini. Di Ibn Khaldun i.e di Sekolah Rendah Ibn Khaldun. Alhamdulillah, isi pengisian yang disampaikan oleh seorang syuyukh di dalam perjumpaan guru-guru pagi kelmarin sangat berhikmah.  

Penyampai memulakan penyampaian dengan mengajak kami bermuhasabah bahawa yang menilai kita adalah Allah. Tugas kita ialah mendidik manusia dan kita mendidik manusia supaya takut kepada Allah. Pesan IHAB matlamat hidup kita dijelaskan oleh Allah di dalam Al-Qur’an. Ada manusia yang tujuan hidupnya ialah untuk makan dan berseronok. Ini adalah orang yang ingkar dengan ayat Allah, dia hanya berseronok dan suka-suka dalam hidupnya.  Hidupnya untuk makan, memuaskan kerongkong, mulut dan lidah. Namun, akhirnya tempatnya di neraka. Nauzubillah.

Hakikatnya, setiap saat kita mesti hubungkan diri kerana Allah. Dalam proses mendidik ini kita tidak boleh marah secara keterlaluan.  Kita mesti berjuang dan berjihad meletakkan Allah dalam pemikiran kita. Kita mesti banyak bersabar dan berhikmah.

Jika kita ingin merasai hubungan dengan Allah , yang dituntut ialah perjuangan dalam meraih keredhaan Allah dan berjuang melawan bisikan hawa nafsu dan godaan syaitan. Yang paling penting, merasai hubungan dengan Allah dan menggunakan cara yang menyentuh hati untuk mencintai Allah dalam mendidik mesti dilazimi. Inshaallah.

Kedua, ada golongan yang hidup untuk tujuan perhiasan, keindahan dan harta benda. Mereka menyukai emas, perak yang berpikul-pikul. Jika kita lihat Sirah Rasulullah dan para sahabat Rasulullah saw, para sahabat Rasulullah saw takut untuk menyimpan harta, sebab takut dengan tanggungjawab terhadap harta-harta tersebut. Mereka menggunakan harta untuk mendapat keredhaan Allah. Sahabat-sahabat Rasulullah saw seperti Sayyidina Abu Bakr As Siddiq a.s, Sayyidina Umar al-Khattab dan lain-lain, mereka sebenarnya kaya tetapi menjual segala-galanya untuk mendapat keredhaan Allah.  

Sekarang kita banyak mencari untuk keperluan diri kita. Nilaian untuk bersyukur sudah berubah. Nilaian manusia cepat berbeza tetapi kita semua adalah sama disisi Allah secara tetap. Sekarang ramai manusia yang lalai dan leka dengan wanita, anak-anak, serta kekayaan.

Ketiga, ada golongan yang suka membuat fitnah. Fitnah ialah punca kejahatan dalam kehidupan. Ia adalah ibu yang melahirkan kejahatan. Ada segolongan manusia yang tertarik dengan cakapnya yakni orang yang suka berbuat fitnah ini. Dia nampak seperti menyeru kepada Allah tetapi dia sebenarnya adalah musuh ketat Allah. Apabila dia mendapat kuasa, dia akan menggunakan kekuasaan untuk memusnahkan kesejahteraan dan dia menentang Allah.

Dalam mendisiplinkan pelajar, kita mesti mengharapkan Allah membantu menghadiahkan hidayah supaya para pelajar insaf. Allah uji kita dengan masalah kerana Allah ingin lihat bagaimana kita bertindak. Para guru atau murabbi diberi tugas untuk mendidik manusia. Kita tidak pilih kerjaya guru ini, kita tidak lahir-lahir, kita sudah tahu kita semua akan mengajar di Ibn Khaldun. Tetapi, Allah yang pilih kita. Jadi, kita kena rasa tanggungjawab apabila ini adalah diatas pilihan Allah.

Kita bertanggungjawab untuk menjadikan hati anak-anak kita tersentuh kerana Allah. Seorang guru di Azhar yang buta dan mengajar Al-Qur’an dia menggunakan uslub merotan pelajar-pelajarnya yang salah membaca Al-Qur’an. Para pelajarnya dalam lingkungan umur 20 an. Ini tidak mengapa. Dia perlu tegas. Allah uji dia cacat penglihatan. Dengan dia merotan, ini mendidik para pelajar supaya tidak main-main dalam membaca Al-Qur’an, Hati dia tidak buta. Dia boleh tahu pelajar membaca Al-Quran secara baik atau tidak.

Setiap apa yang dilakukan ialah ujian. Ia yang membuat kita percaya bahawa Allah Maha Melihat. Allah ingin lihat adakah kita marah semata-mata atau adakah kita mencari Redha Allah. Adakah Allah suka?

Satu kisah yang dikongsikan oleh penyampai, seorang Imam telah naik bas yang dipandu oleh seorang driver bus. Driver tersebut non-Muslim. Tiba-tiba, ketika sudah tiba di destinasi, imam terperasan duit baki tambang terlebih 20 sen. Dia terus segera memulangkan 20 sen itu kembali. Driver mengucapkan terima kasih dan berterus-terang bahawa dia sengaja memberi lebih 20 sen kepada Imam. Dia ingin menguji samada orang Islam yang menganut Islam jujur ataupun tidak. Bagaimana sebenarnya keindahan Islam. Ini kerana dia berminat ingin masuk Islam, tetapi mahu meninjau dahulu keindahan Islam itu sendiri. Bagaimana umatnya mempraktiskan Islam dalam kehidupan. Imam tersebut dalam hati memanjatkan rasa syukur kepada Allah. Beliau bersyukur kerana dapat menyelamatkan maruah Islam. Alhamdulillah.

Apabila kita berhadapan dengan ujian, kita mesti berjihad serta bersungguh-sungguh menghadapinya. Apabila kita bertemu Allah, Inshaallah kita boleh persembahkan yang terbaik.

Points yang penyampai higlightkan diakhir kalam tarbawinya antaranya ialah kepercayaan kita adalah tindakan kita. I feel I think, I do. Kita mesti lihat potensi pelajar. Kepercayan penting untuk menilai sesuatu. Kita mesti fikir senang dan Inshaallah ia akan jadi mudah.

Para sahabat berjuang kerana kepercayaan kepada Allah. Penyampai telah berkongsi ketika di Gaza, saudara kita di disana menasihatkan bahawa kamu tidak perlu datang kesini. Biar kami berjihad dan berjuang disini. Apa yang penting yang perlu kamu buat ialah kembali ke negara kamu dan berjihad disana dan bantu kami disini. Dengan itu, inshaallah ganjarannya akan sama dengan kami yang berjihad disini. Walaubagaimanapun, jika kamu ingin bersama kami disini, persiapkan diri untuk lima tahun akan datang, dan Inshaallah kita bertemu disini.

Selepas itu, penyampai dan ahli rombongan yang lain diajak naik ke tebing yang tingginya 75 degree agak-agak 3 kali tinggi pokok kelapa di tepi kelas tahun 6 Aisyah, Sekolah Rendah Ibn Khaldun. Apabila ketua guard disana melepaskan tembakan, semua dikehendaki berlari naik ke tebing tinggi tersebut. Dalam sehari, di Gaza sana, mereka menjalankan latihan dengan naik ke atas tebing tersebut 80 kali sehari. Allahu Akbar!

Kepercayaan kita disini berbeza dengan mereka disana. Anak mereka, hubungan mereka dengan Al-Qur’an kuat. Anak-anak kita problem. Contoh paling dekat kita lihat berapa ramai anak-anak kita bangun bersolat jamaah subuh di surau kita ini? Ada atau tidak? Jadi kita mesti usaha untuk beri anak kita peluang bangun subuh awal, kita kena bangun awal, kejut anak sebelum subuh dah bangun. Avoid giving many excuses. You’ve right to give excuse here, BUT, in front of Allah, is that excuses valid in the eyes of Allah? 

Apabila duduk dalam organisasi kita kena lihat tanggungjawab kita. Kita kena lihat nilai Allah dalam persoalan kita. Kita mesti sabar. Penyampai berkongsi perumpamaan dengan satu sketsa.

Bayangkan jika kita sudah berkemas  hendak pergi kerja dengan kot, kemeja dsb. Tiba-tiba ketika minum  kopi, anak kita berlari meluru nak keluar rumah dan  terlanggar air kopi yang kita minum. Habis basah seluruh baju kemeja dan kot dengan kopi. Apa yang kita buat? Bayangkan jika kita memarahi anak kita on the spot, marah-marah dan terus marah tanpa nasihat yang berhikmah. 

Dan kemudian kita menyalin pakaian baru. Tiba-tiba, nampak anak di ruang tamu, tidak naik ke bus sekolah yang ambil dia setiap hari. Anak merajuk kena marah dan tak mahu ke sekolah dengan bus sekolah. Apalagi, jika tak sabar, terus memarahi  anak lagi. Kemudian nak hantar anak pergi sekolah, sambil marah-marah dalam kereta. Anak terus merajuk dan makan hati sampaikan tertinggal beg sekolah dalam kereta. Apabila setengah jalan, baru perasan beg sekolah tertinggal lantas kita berpatah balik berikan beg kepada anak di sekolah. Dan, terus marah-marah lagi. Dan seterusnya?

Cuba kita bayangkan,jika kita sabar hikmahnya lebih baik inshaallah. Dan kita nasihat anak-anak dengan baik dan kita percaya bahawa  Allah yang izin perkara iaitu air itu tertumpah. Two approaches that give 2 different side effects. 

Stephen Covey pun pernah dalam penulisannya menyebut tentang ini, incident happens only 10 %, nevertheless, our approach effects another 90%. If we handle it wisely, worst things will never happen. If we manage to make it worst, the worst will turn to 90% and goes totally to 100%. It more worst than before. 

Apabila ujian Allah datang, kita mesti lihat dengan penuh kebaikan. Kita mesti melihat ujian dengan penuh rasa tanggungjawab kepada Allah. Kalam diakhiri dengan peringatan supaya yang benar itu perlu diperkatakan. Sekarang ialah masa untuk kita bekerja. Kita bekerja. Dan ia akan dinilai oleh Allah. Kita akan berjaya jika mendapat redha Allah. Mesti kerja sungguh-sungguh untuk melahirkan komitmen dan hamasah kepada Allah.

HIKMATUS SYUYUKH FII HAMASATIS SYABAB ~Sheikh Umar al-Tilmisani

(Hikmah orang tua bersama semangat orang muda)

Jazakumullahu Khairan Kathira

Wallahu a’lam Bissowab.  

Enjoy Your Life

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Praise be to Allah the Exalted who has blessed us, his powerless servants, with the joy and peace of true faith; and peace and blessings be on the Endless Pride of the Universe, Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam who has led humanity from darkness to boundless light.

May Allah grant our hearts a lofty fortune from the spiritual abode of the companions of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam and the revered friends of Allah, who have guided believers to the right path and may He bless our hearts with fruitful winds from the winds horizons of the infinite spirituality.

Alhamdulillah, biiznillah, I came across a book called, ‘Enjoy Your Life’ by Dr. Muhammad ‘Abd Al-Rahaman Al-‘Arifi , which I found to be quite excellent and which I intend to subsequently read once again or even twice, triple and many times as much as I can. This book had been published for first edition on 2008 by Maktaba Dar-us-salam.

Jazakumullahu Khayran Kathira to my beloved friends Atiqah & Syafiqah for sharing this book with me. Alhamdulillah. Need to return back to twinkle twin :)  But, dont worry, biiznillah I'll try to get it one. Inshaallah. So, no worries (^_^)

They had managed to locate this book from MPH for RM 60 which I thought reasonable with the contents and ways of expression demonstrated by the author. Plus, am really love reading this because the author endavourly expounds on the art of interacting with people as deduced from a study of the Prophet's sallahu alaihi wasallam life. Other readers expressed the same too. One of the comments goes like this, "Subhanallah, this book can change anyone's life!"- Aliya Farheen

Yeah, that's true indeed! Subhanallah, biiznillah, it's really enjoyable. The author facilitates readers by arranging pragmatic points and illustrations in concise manner. It's suit with all levels of age and indeed relevant in all times, races and places. Inshaallah.    

The author shares that previously he had read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. The latter author suggested that one should read the book once a month, which is exactly what the former author did. He began to apply its principles when dealing with others and witnessed amazing results. Carnegie would often mention a principle and then cite various examples of this by way of incidents related to prominent figures, such as Roosevelt, Lincoln, Joseph, and so on.

The former contemplated and realized that the author’s only goal was to attain worldly happiness. What if he were to have known Islam and the etiquettes it teaches? He would surely have achieved eternal as well as ephemeral happiness! How about if he were to have turned his wonderful interpersonal skills into worship, with which he would have drawn closer to Allah? When he later discovered that Carnegie had committed suicide, he knew for certain that his book, despite its merits, had not benefitted him.

 He then began to search our own history and discovered that the life of Allah’s Messenger saw, and his Companions, and anecdotes of some of the prominent men of this Ummah are more than enough for us to learn lessons from. From then on, he began to author this book concerning the art of dealing with others. Hence, this book is not the product of a month or a year’s toil. Rather, it is the result of twenty years of serious study.

Dr Muhammad 'Abd Al-Rahaman Al-'Arifi firmly claimed that "Although Allah has blessed me with the ability to have produced twenty books so far, some of which have been printed in their millions, I nevertheless believe that the most beloved, precious and beneficial of all of them to me is this book, which I wrote with ink blended with my blood; I poured out my soul and squeezed out my memories as I wrote these lines. I have written these words from the very depths of my heart so it may penetrate the heart of the reader, and would be delighted to learn that he or she has indeed implemented its teachings, experienced an improvement in his or her skills, and therefore actually began enjoying life."

The author further echoed that if he or she i.e the readers were to then thankfully write a message expressing his or her views and feelings honestly and send it to him via email or SMS, he would be grateful for this kindness and remember to pray for him or her in their absence. We should appreciate this for benefit of Islam isn't it?

Lastly, in his final word, the author pray to Allah that the reader benefits from these pages, and that He makes his efforts purely for His sake. -Written by the one who is always praying for what is best for you- Dr. MAARAA. -reflected on 7 june 2012 (sorry for any shortcomings. may Allah bless us all. amiin.)

Purify your intention so that your interpersonal skills can turn into acts of worship, with which you can draw closer to Allah 

by

Dr Muhammad 'Abd Al-Rahaman Al-'Arifi 

Wallahu 'alam bissowab