Thursday, September 25, 2003

Sleeping and missing salaat al-fajr

A brother complained: ¡§I miss salaat al-Ffjr on most days, and I hardly ever pray it at the right time. Usually I do not wake up until after the sun has risen, or at best I wake up after the time for praying fajr in jamaa¡¦ah. I have tried to wake up at the right time, with no success. What is the solution to this problem?¡¨

All praise be to Allah. The solution to this problem, like others, has two aspects: theoretical and practical.

The theoretical aspect may be further broken down into two points:

(1) The Muslim should know the great status of salaat al-fajr in the sight of Allah, may He be glorified. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ¡§Whoever prays the dawn prayer in congregation, it is as if he had prayed the whole night long.¡¨ (Muslim, p. 454, no. 656; al-Tirmidhi, 221).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said: ¡§The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are salaat al-¡¦isha¡¦ and salaat al-fajr, but if they only knew what they contain, they would come even if they had to crawl.¡¨ (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, al-Musnad, 2/424; Saheeh al-Jaami¡¦, 133).

¡§Whoever prays fajr is under the protection of Allah. Do not put yourselves in a situation where Allah has to call you to account for your negligence.¡¨ (Reported by al-Tabaraani, 7/267; Saheeh al-Jaami¡¦, no. 6344).

¡§Angels come to you in shifts by night and by day. They meet at salaat al-fajr and salaat al-¡¥asr, then those who had stayed with you at night ascend, and are asked by the One Who knows better than they: ¡¥How did you find My servants?¡¦ They say, ¡¥We left them when they were praying, and we came to them when they were praying.¡¦¡¨ (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 2/33).

¡§The best of prayers in the sight of Allah is the dawn prayer on Friday, in congregation.¡¨ (Reported by Abu Na¡¦eem in al-Hilyah, 7/207, and in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1566).

According to a saheeh hadeeth: ¡§Whoever prays al-Bardayn will enter Paradise.¡¨ (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 2/52). Al-Bardayn are fajr and ¡¥asr.

(2) The Muslim should understand the seriousness of missing salaat al-fajr. This is explained by the hadeeth already quoted:

¡§The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are salaat al-¡¦isha¡¦ and salaat al-Fajr¡K¡¨

In al-Saheeh, it is reported that Ibn ¡¥Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: ¡§If we did not see a person at fajr and ¡¥isha¡¦ prayers, we would think badly of him.¡¨ (Reported by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu¡¦jam al-Kabeer, 12/271. Al-Haythami said, the men of al-Tabaraani are muwaththaqoon (trustworthy). al-Majma¡¦, 2/40). They thought badly of a person who was absent from these two prayers because regular performance of them is an indication of a person¡¦s faith and a measure of his sincerity. Other prayers may be easier to do because they are more convenient to a person¡¦s circumstances and fit in with his work and his sleep, but only those who are determined and sincere, people whom one hopes are good people, will be able to pray fajr and ¡¥isha¡¦ regularly in congregation.

Another hadeeth which indicates the seriousness of missing salaat al-fajr is: ¡§Whoever prays fajr is under the protection of Allah. Do not put yourselves in a situation where Allah has to call you to account for your negligence, because whoever finds himself in this situation will be sorted out and then thrown on his face in the Fire of Hell.¡¨ (Reported by Muslim, p. 454).

These two points are sufficient to guarantee that the Muslim¡¦s heart will burn with the concern to ensure that he does not miss fajr. The first motivates him to strive to earn the reward for fajr, and the second acts as a warning that will deter him from committing the sin of negligence.

The practical aspect of dealing with this problem includes a number of steps which the Muslim can take in order to get used to performing salaat al-fajr regularly in congregation. These steps include:

„h Sleeping early. According to a saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to dislike sleeping before ¡¥isha¡¦ and talking afterwards. The Muslim should not sleep before salaat al-¡¦isha¡¦ because it is obvious that most of those who sleep before it will spend the rest of the night feeling so tired and heavy that it will be as if they are ill.

„h Also, the Muslim should not talk after ¡¥isha¡¦, and the scholars have explained the reason why doing so is disliked: it is because doing so leads to people staying up late, which in turns leads to the fear that they will sleep and miss qiyaam al-layl, or the correct or preferred time for fajr prayer.
The kind of talk that is disliked after ¡¥isha¡¦, as the commentators explain, is that in which there is no clear benefit, but if there is some benefit ¡V such as studying and gaining knowledge, learning stories of righteous people, speaking to a guest, spending time with one¡¦s wife and family, speaking to travellers and taking care of them and their luggage, or any other permissible reason ¡V then there is nothing wrong with it. This has no connection with the reasons for which many people stay up late nowadays, to do wrong and commit sin! So the Muslim should sleep early, so that he can wake up refreshed to pray fajr and avoid the kind of late nights that make him too tired to get up and pray fajr in congregation.

„h It is a fact that people differ with regard to their need for sleep, so it is not possible to dictate a set number of hours that people should sleep, but each person should stick to the time that will give him enough sleep to wake up refreshed for salaat al-fajr. If a person knows from experience that sleeping after 11 p.m., for example, will mean that he cannot get up for fajr, then from an Islamic point of view he should not sleep any later than that¡K and so on.

„h Making sure that one is clean (taahir) and reciting adhkaar (prayers) before sleeping. This helps a person to get up for fajr.

„h Having a sincere intention and being determined, when going to sleep, that one will get up for fajr. But a person who goes to sleep hoping that the alarm will not go off, and that no one will come and wake him up, will not ¡V with such a corrupt intention ¡V be able to get up to pray fajr whilst he still has this bad intention.

„h Remembering Allah as soon as one wakes up. Some people may initially wake up, then they go back to sleep again. But if a person remembers Allah straight after waking up, this will loosen one of the knots of Shaytaan, and will motivate him to get up. When he performs wudoo¡¦, his determination becomes stronger, and Shaytaan is driven further away, and when he prays, his shaytaan is defeated, his balance (of good deeds) becomes heavier, and he will feel happy and energetic.

„h Seeking help from one¡¦s family and friends to pray fajr, and encouraging one another in this regard. This is essential, and is undoubtedly included in the words of Allah (interpretation of the meanings):
¡§¡K Help you one another in al-birr and al-taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety)¡K¡¨ [al-Maa¡¦idah 5:2]
¡§By al-¡¥asr (time). Verily! Man is in loss, except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth and recommend one another to patience.¡¨ [al-¡¥Asr 103:1-3]

„h The Muslim should encourage his wife, for example by waking her up to pray fajr, and she should encourage him, no matter how tired and exhausted he may be. Children should also seek their father¡¦s help to wake up, so he can wake them when it is time for the prayer. No father should say ¡§They have exams, they are tired, let them sleep, poor kids.¡¨ It is a mistake to think that be doing this one is being a kind and merciful parent; true parental mercy means that the father wakes them up to worship Allah. ¡§And enjoin al-salaah (the prayer) on your family, and be patient in offering them (the prayers)¡K¡¨ [Ta-Ha 20:132 ¡V interpretation of the meaning].

„h Just as family members should help and encourage one another to pray fajr, so brothers in Islam can also help one another. For example, university students living in the same residence or neighbours in the same neighbourhood can help one another by knocking on a neighbour¡¦s door to wake him for prayer and helping him to worship Allah.

„h Praying to Allah to help him to wake up to pray fajr in congregation. Du¡¦aa¡¦ is one of the greatest sources of strength and success in all things.

„h Using various means of being woken up, such as alarm clocks. These should be put in the most appropriate place. Some people put the alarm clock next to their head, and when it rings, they turn if off at once and go straight back to sleep. Such a person should put the clock a little further away, so that he can feel that it is really waking him up.

One can also arrange to receive alarm calls from the telephone company, and no Muslim should think that it is too much to pay for this service if he needs it, because this is spending in the way of Allah, and waking up to obey the command of Allah cannot be measured in terms of worldly wealth.

„h Throwing water in the face of the person who is sleeping. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) praised the man who gets up at night to pray, and wakes his wife, and when she refuses to get up, he throws water in her face; and he praised the woman who gets up at night to pray, and wakes her husband, and when he refuses to get up, she throws water in his face. (Reported by Imaam Ahmad in al-Musnad, 2/250; Saheeh al-Jaami¡¦, 3494).

Throwing water in a person¡¦s face is one of the means of waking a person for prayer that is prescribed by sharee¡¦ah. In fact it is quite refreshing and energizing. Some people may become enraged when woken in this manner, and they may shout and swear and issue threats, so the person who is seeking to wake another should employ wisdom and patience, and remember that the pens are lifted from the record of one who is sleeping (i.e., his deeds are not being recorded while he is asleep) ¡V so he should put up with any bad treatment, and not let this put him off trying to wake people up for prayer.

„h Not sleeping alone. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade any man to sleep alone. (Reported by Imaam Ahmad in al-Musnad, 2/91; al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 60). Perhaps the wisdom behind this prohibition is that a person could sleep too long if there is no-one to wake him up for prayer.

„h Not sleeping in remote places where it would not occur to anyone that someone could be sleeping there, such as a person sleeping on the roof of a house without telling his family where he is, or sleeping in a remote part of the house or student residence, so that no-one will know to wake him for prayer, but everyone will think that he is in the mosque when in fact he is fast asleep. Anyone who needs to sleep in a remote place should tell the people around him where he will be so that they can come and wake him.

„h Being lively and active upon waking. One should get up straightaway, and not wake up in stages, as some people do. A person could be woken up several times, and each time he gets up, but when his friend leaves, he goes back to bed. Waking up in stages usually ends in failure, and the only way to prevent falling asleep again is to get up straight away.

„h Not setting the alarm too early. If a person knows that there is still a long time to go until the time of the prayer, he may think, ¡§I still have time, let me sleep a little more¡K¡¨ Everyone should know how to handle himself and avoid this situation.

„h Lighting a lamp when waking up ¡V or, in our modern times, switching on the light. This has the effect of dispelling sleepiness.

„h Not staying up late, even to pray qiyaam al-layl. Some people may stay up late to pray qiyaam al-layl, then fall asleep a few minutes before fajr and be unable to wake up for the prayer. This happens a lot in Ramadaan ¡V people stay up late and sleep a little while before fajr, so they miss the prayer. No doubt this is a grave error, because fard (obligatory) prayer should take precedence over naafil (supererogatory) prayer. So what about those who stay up late not to pray but to commit sin, or at best to do permissible things? The Shaytaan may make the idea of staying up late to discuss important matters attractive to some daa¡¦iyahs (Islamic workers), then they sleep late and miss the prayer, thus losing much more than they gained.

„h Not eating too much before going to sleep. Eating too much makes one sleep deeply. The one who eats a lot gets very tired, and sleeps a lot, thus losing a lot. So one should try to eat lightly in the evening.

„h Warning about the misinterpretation of the sunnah to lie down after praying the sunnah of fajr. Some people may have heard the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ¡§When any one of you has prayed, let him lie down on his right side.¡¨ (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 420; Saheeh al-Jaami¡¦, 642). It was also reported that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had prayed the sunnah of fajr, he would lie down, then Bilaal would call him to prayer, and he would stand up to pray. People may have heard these ahaadeeth, and be keen to follow this proven sunnah, but they do not understand how to do it properly. So a person may pray the sunnah of fajr, then lie down on his right side, and fall fast asleep until the sun rises. This is because of a lack of proper understanding. The lying down is not for the purpose of sleeping, and Bilaal used to come and tell the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when it was time to pray. Moreover, as was reported by Imaam Ahmad and Ibn Hibbaan in a saheeh hadeeth, if the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wanted to rest before fajr, he would put his head on his right palm, propped up on his elbow. (Reported by Ahmad in al-Musnad, 5/298; Saheeh al-Jaami¡¦, no. 4752). This kind of resting prevents one from falling fast asleep, because in this case one¡¦s head is propped up on one¡¦s palm and elbow, and will drop if one dozes off, thus waking one up again. In addition to this, Bilaal was entrusted with the responsibility of waking the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for the fajr prayer.

„h Praying qiyaam al-layl late in the night, just before fajr, so that when one finishes witr, the call for fajr prayer is given, making the worship continuous. The night prayer should be offered during the last third of the night ¡V which is the preferred time ¡V and immediately followed by the fajr prayer, whilst one is feeling awake and energetic.

„h Following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in lying down to sleep. So a person should lie on his right side, placing his right cheek on his right hand. This position makes it easy to wake up. The best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and this is better than sleeping in any other position which may make it difficult to wake up.

„h Helping oneself by taking a nap during the day, because this will help a person by making him need less sleep at night.

„h Not sleeping after ¡¥asr or maghrib, because this will make a person sleep late, and whoever sleeps late will find it difficult to wake up.

„h Finally, sincere devotion to Allah is the best thing to motivate a person to get up for prayer, because Allah is the One Who is controlling all means of help. If a person has that true sincerity and his heart is burning with devotion to Allah, then Allah will help him to get up to pray fajr in congregation, even if he goes to sleep only a few moments before fajr.

This sincerity and devotion may cause some very enthusiastic people to find unusual ways to help themselves to wake up to pray, which is a sign of their eagerness and keenness. One of them may set a number of alarm clocks to wake him up, setting each one a few minutes later than the other, so that if he turns the first one off, the next one will wake him a few moments later, and so on. Another may tie a string to his wrist, with the other end dangling from his window, so that when one of his friends passes by on his way to the mosque, he can pull on the string and wake him for fajr prayer.

See what can be achieved with sincerity and determination, may Allah guide you! But the bitter truth is that weakness of faith and lack of sincerity are widespread among people nowadays, as we can see from the small numbers of people to be found praying in the mosques at fajr, despite the fact that there are so many people living around the mosques in many neighbourhoods.

But no doubt there are people who sleep so heavily that it is almost like an illness, and they may be excused, because the matter is beyond their control. People in this situation should turn to Allah for help, and do everything that they possibly can, and visit the doctor, to try to find a cure.

Finally, a word about a well known phenomenon: some people claim that there is a hadeeth which says that the person who wants to get up for fajr should recite the last part of Soorat al-Kahf before sleeping, and have the intention in his heart to get up at a certain hour, and this will make him get up at that time. They claim that this is a tried and tested method. Our response is that there is no such saheeh hadeeth, and this carries no weight whatsoever. The best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Explanation of Soorah al-`Asr (The Time)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

(1) By time,
(2) Verily, man is in loss,
(3) Except those who believe and do righteous deeds and exhort one another to Truth and exhort one another to patience.

< By Time > That is, the ages during which the deeds – both good and bad – of the sons of Aadam `alayhis salam take place. Maalik said that it refers to the time of `asr prayer, but the first explanation is more correct. Allah swears by it (time) that mankind is in loss, that is misfortune and ruin.

< Except those who believe and do righteous deeds > Allah excludes those of mankind who believe sincerely with all their hearts and do good deeds with their hands.

< And exhort one another to Truth > That is, in the face of misfortune or calamity, the things which have been written for us and the persecution of those who would seek to harm whoever orders the good and forbids the evil. It is reported that Musailamah (he was an arch-liar who lived at the time of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam and falsely claimed to be a brother-prophet) was visited by `Amr ibn al-`Aas after the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam had begun his mission, but before `Amr had embraced Islaam and Musailamah said to him: "What does your companion (the Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam) say about this time?" `Amr replied: "A soorah has been revealed to him which is concise, yet elegant." "And what is it?" inquired Musailamah. "It is: < By time, Verily, man is in loss, except those who believe and do righteous deeds and exhort one another to Truth and exhort one another to patience >." Musailamah thought about this for a while and then he said: "It has been revealed to me something like that." "What would that be?" asked `Amr. He replied, "Oh, wabr (Hyrax, an animal described by ibn Katheer as resembling a cat, having long ears, and a large breast and being for the rest, very ugly.)! Oh, wabr! You are merely two ears and a breast and the rest of you is but a hole." Then he asked: "What do you think, oh, `Amr?" `Amr replied, "By Allah! Surely you are aware that I know you lie!" Musailamah intended by the composition of these nonsensical verses to produce something which was the very antithesis of the clarity and conciseness of the Qur’aan; as a result it did not even convince a pagan idol-worshipper of the time.

According to at-Tabaraani, whenever any two Companions of the Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam met, they would not part, until one of them had recited to the other Soorah Al-`Asr and then delivered Salaams upon him. Ash-Shaafi`I said: "If the people were to ponder on this Soorah, it would be sufficient for them." This is the end of the tafseer of Soorah al-`Asr, all praise is due to Allah and from Him proceeds all Grace.

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

Kisah lima perkara aneh

Kisah lima perkara aneh

Abu Laits as-Samarqandi adalah seorang ahli fiqh yang masyur. Suatu ketika dia pernah berkata, ayahku menceritakan bahawa antara Nabi-nabi yang bukan Rasul ada menerima wahyu dalam bentuk mimpi dan ada yang hanya mendengar suara.

Maka salah seorang Nabi yang menerima wahyu melalui mimpi itu, pada suatu malam bermimpi diperintahkan yang berbunyi, "Esok engkau dikehendaki keluar dari rumah pada waktu pagi menghala ke barat. Engkau dikehendaki berbuat, pertama; apa yang engkau lihat (hadapi) maka makanlah, kedua; engkau sembunyikan, ketiga; engkau terimalah, keempat; jangan engkau putuskan harapan, yang kelima; larilah engkau daripadanya."

Pada keesokan harinya, Nabi itu pun keluar dari rumahnya menuju ke barat dan kebetulan yang pertama dihadapinya ialah sebuah bukit besar berwarna hitam. Nabi itu kebingungan sambil berkata, "Aku diperintahkan memakan pertama aku hadapi, tapi sungguh aneh sesuatu yang mustahil yang tidak dapat dilaksanakan."

Maka Nabi itu terus berjalan menuju ke bukit itu dengan hasrat untuk memakannya. Ketika dia menghampirinya, tiba-tiba bukit itu mengecilkan diri sehingga menjadi sebesar buku roti. Maka Nabi itu pun mengambilnya lalu disuapkan ke mulutnya. Bila ditelan terasa sungguh manis bagaikan madu. Dia pun mengucapkan syukur 'Alhamdulillah'.

Kemudian Nabi itu meneruskan perjalanannya lalu bertemu pula dengan sebuah mangkuk emas. Dia teringat akan arahan mimpinya supaya disembunyikan, lantas Nabi itu pun menggali sebuah lubang lalu ditanamkan mangkuk emas itu, kemudian ditinggalkannya. Tiba-tiba mangkuk emas itu terkeluar semula. Nabi itu pun menanamkannya semula sehingga tiga kali berturut-turut.

Maka berkatalah Nabi itu, "Aku telah melaksanakan perintahmu." Lalu dia pun meneruskan perjalanannya tanpa disedari oleh Nabi itu yang mangkuk emas itu terkeluar semula dari tempat ia ditanam.

Ketika dia sedang berjalan, tiba-tiba dia ternampak seekor burung helang sedang mengejar seekor burung kecil. Kemudian terdengarlah burung kecil itu berkata, "Wahai Nabi Allah, tolonglah aku."

Mendengar rayuan burung itu, hatinya merasa simpati lalu dia pun mengambil burung itu dan dimasukkan ke dalam bajunya. Melihatkan keadaan itu, lantas burung helang itu pun datang menghampiri Nabi itu sambil berkata, "Wahai Nabi Allah, aku sangat lapar dan aku mengejar burung itu sejak pagi tadi. Oleh itu janganlah engkau patahkan harapanku dari rezekiku."

Nabi itu teringatkan pesanan arahan dalam mimpinya yang keempat, iaitu tidak boleh putuskan harapan. Dia menjadi kebingungan untuk menyelesaikan perkara itu. Akhirnya dia membuat keputusan untuk mengambil pedangnya lalu memotong sedikit daging pehanya dan diberikan kepada helang itu. Setelah mendapat daging itu, helang pun terbang dan burung kecil tadi dilepaskan dari dalam bajunya.

Selepas kejadian itu, Nabi meneruskan perjalannya. Tidak lama kemudian dia bertemu dengan satu bangkai yang amat busuk baunya, maka dia pun bergegas lari dari situ kerana tidak tahan menghidu bau yang menyakitkan hidungnya. Setelah menemui kelima-lima peristiwa itu, maka kembalilah Nabi ke rumahnya. Pada malam itu, Nabi pun berdoa. Dalam doanya dia berkata, "Ya Allah, aku telah pun melaksanakan perintah-Mu sebagaimana yang diberitahu di dalam mimpiku, maka jelaskanlah kepadaku erti semuanya ini."

Dalam mimpi beliau telah diberitahu oleh Allah S.W.T. bahawa, "Yang pertama engkau makan itu ialah marah. Pada mulanya nampak besar seperti bukit tetapi pada akhirnya jika bersabar dan dapat mengawal serta menahannya, maka marah itu pun akan menjadi lebih manis daripada madu.

Kedua; semua amal kebaikan (budi), walaupun disembunyikan, maka ia tetap akan nampak jua. Ketiga; jika sudah menerima amanah seseorang, maka janganlah kamu khianat kepadanya. Keempat; jika orang meminta kepadamu, maka usahakanlah untuknya demi membantu kepadanya meskipun kau sendiri berhajat. Kelima; bau yang busuk itu ialah ghibah (menceritakan hal seseorang). Maka larilah dari orang-orang yang sedang duduk berkumpul membuat ghibah."

Saudara-saudaraku, kelima-lima kisah ini hendaklah kita semaikan dalam diri kita, sebab kelima-lima perkara ini sentiasa sahaja berlaku dalam kehidupan kita sehari-hari. Perkara yang tidak dapat kita elakkan setiap hari ialah mengata hal orang, memang menjadi tabiat seseorang itu suka mengata hal orang lain. Haruslah kita ingat bahawa kata-mengata hal seseorang itu akan menghilangkan pahala kita, sebab ada sebuah hadis mengatakan di akhirat nanti ada seorang hamba Allah akan terkejut melihat pahala yang tidak pernah dikerjakannya. Lalu dia bertanya, "Wahai Allah, sesungguhnya pahala yang Kamu berikan ini tidak pernah aku kerjakan di dunia dulu."

Maka berkata Allah S.W.T., "Ini adalah pahala orang yang mengata-ngata tentang dirimu." Dengan ini haruslah kita sedar bahawa walaupun apa yang kita kata itu memang benar, tetapi kata-mengata itu akan merugikan diri kita sendiri. Oleh kerana itu, hendaklah kita jangan mengata hal orang walaupun ia benar.





Tuesday, September 23, 2003

presentation

assalamualeikum wbt

will be doing a presentation on a story titled "Together" from my course reading for Muslim Literature class soon. Hope to share with everyone else here insyaAllah... wait for updates eh... :-)

Thursday, September 18, 2003

on phase

masyaAllah.... It's already been more than 2 years since I first flew to this 'land of opportunity'.... many many things occurred while here.... and I've been back to 'land of diversity' twice since.... I have a niece, Nur Alia is her name.... pretty but totally chose by my sister and her husband. Practically I am doing fine here alhamdulillah... but intentionally my goal(s) hasn't yet reached! as one bro asked me earlier, "dapat nafas baru balik ke Malaysia?" well, honestly, it's all here! going back to the 'land of diversity' is like turning back to my past life! who is me originally, how much have I changed? All this trully make me believed that I am no better than any other creatures in this world. To be able to stand on my own feet and to collect all my sorrow inside ME, that's maybe what makes me different -- perhaps...

It is quiet a tough job to satisfy other people and at the same time to satisfy our ownself. I hardly understand how human behave and wheather that behavior reflects themselves or just a matter of yet satisfaying other people too... It's almost impossible to stick to only ourself in this world. Again, what would be the point God creates us all if not to interact with one another right? and also with other God's creation: trees, birds and etc.

Why do people like or dislike sth or someone? why can't everyone be positive about everything and pursue life happily and in peace? What is the significance of having war?

all this really clustered in my mind and made me insane... So many questions yet so little answers.... 'Allahualam... Allah Knows best...

Wednesday, July 02, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

"Our Lord! Thy Reach is over all things, in Mercy and Knowledge. Forgive, then, those who turn in Repentance, and follow thy Path; and preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire! And grant, our Lord! that they enter the Gardens of Eternity, which Thou hast promised to them, and to the righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their posterity! for Thou art (He), the Exalted in Might, Full of Wisdom.” (40:7-8)

Rabi'a al-'Adawiya......

Your hope in my heart is the rarest treasure
Your Name on my tongue is the sweetest word
My choicest hours
Are the hours I spend with You --

O God, I can't live in this world
Without remembering You--
How can I endure the next world
Without seeing Your face?

I am a stranger in Your country
And lonely among Your worshippers:
This is the substance of my complaint.


Dream Fable

I saw myself in a wide green garden, more beautiful than I could begin to understand. In this garden was a young girl. I said to her, "How wonderful this place is!"

"Would you like to see a place even more wonderful than this?" she asked.

"Oh yes," I answered. Then taking me by the hand, she led me on until we came to a magnificent palace, like nothing that was ever seen by human eyes. The young girl knocked on the door, and someone opened it. Immediately both of us were flooded with light.

God alone knows the inner meaning of the maidens we saw living there. Each one carried in her hand a serving-tray filled with light. The young girl asked the maidens where they were going, and they answered her, "We are looking for someone who was drowned in the sea, and so became a martyr. She never slept at night, not one wink! We are going to rub funeral spices on her body."

"Then rub some on my friend here," the young girl said.

"Once upon a time," said the maidens, "part of this spice and the fragrance of it clung to her body -- but then she shied away."

Quickly the young girl let go of my hand, turned, and said to me:

"Your prayers are your light;
Your devotion is your strength;
Sleep is the enemy of both.
Your life is the only opportunity that life can give you.
If you ignore it, if you waste it,
You will only turn to dust."


Then the young girl disappeared.

In love, nothing exists between breast and Breast.
Speech is born out of longing,
True description from the real taste.
The one who tastes, knows;
the one who explains, lies.
How can you describe the true form of Something
In whose presence you are blotted out?
And in whose being you still exist?
And who lives as a sign for your journey?

hidup untuk makan or makan untuk hidup?

Monday, June 30, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

heh... blogger.com got new features!!!! kewl2! heheh.... today is my last working day! yahoooo!!!!!!! alhamdulillah.... tomorrow and the next few days I'll be relaxing and some house cleaning huhuhu... got email from Amir yesterday; he's in Israel rite now.... see u next fall!

can't wait to got back home la... Good Luck for STC MISG/IMSA and SUMMER CAMP MISA 2003... May Allah make it easy for us all insyaAllah...

Monday, June 23, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

Dalam sebuah hadis, diriwayatkan tentang seorang penjahat yang ingin bertaubat. Ia masuk ke masjid. Ketika itu Rasulullah S.A.W sedang mengimamkan solat. Setelah menunaikan solat mereka berbincang-bincang dan penjahat yang ingin bertaubat itu mendengar Rasulullah S.A.W berkata, “Barangsiapa yang meninggalkan sesuatu yang haram maka akan memperolehinya ketika sudah halal.”

Setelah Rasulullah S.A.W dan para sahabat bersurai, pemuda itu turut meninggalkan masjid. Hatinya masih ragu untuk mengutarakan taubatnya. Namun ucapan Nabi tadi amat terkesan di hatinya.

Malam pun menjelang. Suasana yang sering menggoda dirinya untuk melakukan keburukan. Tiba-tiba dia berhasrat untuk merompak salah sebuah rumah yang dihuni oleh seorang janda. Ternyata di rumah janda itu terdapat banyak makanan yang enak dan pasti mengundang selera. Ketika dia sedang memulakan suapannya tiba-tiba dia teringat kata-kata Rasulullah S.A.W siang tadi. Akhirnya dia tak jadi makan.

Tatkala beranjak ke bilik ke bilik lain, dia menumpai perhiasan dan wang yang banyak. Dan ketika dia hendak mengambilnya, sekali lagi dia teringat kata-kata Rasulullah S.A.W. Lalu dia membatalkan niat jahatnya. Setelah itu dia masuk pula ke sebuah bilik yang besar. Didapatinya janda mu’minah itu sedang terbaring tidur dengan lenanya. Apabila ternampak wajah janda yang cantik dan rupawan itu, dia tergoda dan bermaksud untuk melampiaskan nafsunya. Namun tiba-tiba dia teringat kembali kata-kata Rasulullah S.A.W tadi. Barangsiapa yang meninggalkan sesuatu yang haram ia akan memperolehi barang tersebut ketika ia sudah halal.

Akhirnya, sekali lagi beliau membatalkan niat jahatnya. Lalu dia pergi meninggalkan rumah itu dengan hati yang lega kerana mampu mengalahkan nafsunya.

Fajar mula menyinsing. Penjahat tadi pergi menunaikan solat subuh di masjid. Kali ini dia bertekad, dia akan bertaubat di hadapan Rasulullah S.A.W. Setelah solat, beliau duduk menyendiri di satu sudut masjid, merenung kembali peristiwa yang baru dialaminya malam tadi. Dan menghitung betapa besar dosanya andai perbuatan itu dilakukan.

Ketika matahari terbit datanglah seorang wanita ke masjid dan menceritakan kepada Rasulullah S.A.W kejadia semalam di rumahnya. Walaupun tiada barang yang hilang namun beliau khuatirkalau-kalau pencuri itu datang menyelidik semalam dan akan datang lagi malam nanti. Wanita itu juga memohon kepada Rasulullah S.A.W aga r sudilah mencarikan seorang yang sanggup menjaga rumahnya. “Kenapa kau hidup sendirian?” tanya Rasulullah S.A.W padanya. Wanita itu menjawab bahawa suaminya telah meninggal dunia.

Rasulullah S.A.W mengarahkan pandangannya kepada seorang yang sedang duduk menyendiri di satu sudut masjid. Rasulullah S.A.W bertanya pada lelaki tersebut (penjahat tadi), adakah beliau sudah beristeri?

Setelah Rasulullah S.A.W mengetahui bahawa lelaki itu telah kematian isterinya, maka baginda menawarkannya seorang calon isteri. Lelaki itu terdiam begitu juga janda yang mengadu tadi. Mereka sama-sama malu. Tetapi Rasulullah S.A.W yang arif kemudian mengikat kedua insan itu menjadi suami isteri yang sah. Dan, pecahlah tangis lelaki itu, lalu diceritakannya kepada Rasulullah S.A.W peristiwa yang sebenarnya, dan bahawa pencuri itu tidak lain adalah dirinya sendiri.

Wanita itu keluar dari masjid dari masjid diiringi lelaki yang kini telah menjadi suaminya. Mereka berjalan beriringan menuju rumah yang malam tadi hampir dicerobohinya. Disana makanan-makanan yang enak masih utuh seperti yang dilihatnya malam tadi. Bezanya sekarang, makanan itu sudah tidak haram lagi. Maka tanpa ragu-ragu makanan itu disantapnya.

Wang, emas dan perhiasan yang hendak dicuri, kini sudah menjadi miliknya yang halal. Bahkan dia boleh menggunakannya untuk berniaga, tanpa haram sedikitpun. Sementara wanita cantik yang hampir dinodainya semalam, kini benar-benar sudah menjadi isterinya… berkat kemampuannya menahan nafsu syaitannya.

Lelaki itu berbisik sendiri dalam hati, “Benarlah sabda Rasulullah S.A.W, barangsiapa meninggalkan yang haram maka ia akan memperolehinya ketika ia sudah menjadi halal.”

Demikian indah Islam mengajar erti cinta. Cinta yang tidak diliputi keraguan, cinta yang menimbulkan rasa tenteram, cinta yang menumbuhkan kedamaian, cinta yang menyuburkan keimanan dan ketaqwaan. Cinta yang apabila kita meneguknya akan diperolehi kenikmatan yang lebih dalam lagi.

Marilah kita menjenguk dan menyemak hati kita. Masihkah ada cinta di sana? Sudahkah kita mengemas cinta kita dengan kemasan Cinta Rabbani dan memberi label halal di atasnya? Dan sudahkah kita menyingkirkan cinta syhwat yang akan menjerumuskan kita dalam petaka yang berpanjangan?

Saturday, June 21, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

just called home -- my sis was charged to the hospital for bleeding urination, my mom said it isn't that serious (normal for pregnant woman) insyaAllah.... her husband went fishing and sell the fish he caught to pay for the hospital fees. Be tough sis! Allah always with us!

my other sis is counting days to my return, how sweet! will make use of the time very well this time, spending time with my family and family and family... :-)

I updated pictures section with photos of baby nurin camela. Me and my housemates went to visit them earlier this evening. MasyaAllah... she's sooooo a good baby girl, just sleeping ALL THE TIME. Then we went to the park near the campus dormitory. White & pink roses, assumed lavender, and many other kinds of flowers are so beautiful. Thank you Allah! Thank you Allah

pooh is GONE!!!!! where's pooh!?????? :-(
assalamualeikum wbt

hmm... going back to Malaysia in 12 days... huhuhuhu so eppyyy :-) though it's a last minute plan. So, how's life treating everyone? good?worsen? I'm glad to be here alhamdulillah... may Allah make it easy on me and everyone else insyaAllah...

Sunday, June 15, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

long time no writing aaa... hmm... been busy lately, with works and life (did I?) a little bit to warm up my heart AGAIN heh...

Munafik adalah penyakit hati

SATU daripada tanda orang munafik ialah dia mengaku beriman dengan lidah, sedangkan hatinya penuh kesesatan. Ia memperlihatkan Islam dan menyembunyikan kekufuran.

Oleh itu, Islam menolak dan meletakkan mereka dalam golongan orang tidak beriman dan ia dijelaskan dalam firman Allah bermaksud: “Antara manusia ada yang mengatakan: Kami beriman kepada Allah dan hari Akhirat, pada hal mereka sesungguhnya bukan orang beriman. Mereka hendak menipu Allah dan orang beriman, pada hal mereka hanya menipu diri sendiri, sedang mereka tidak sedar.” Al-Baqarah: 8-10

Sebenarnya, dengan berbuat demikian mereka cuba menipu Allah, pada hal Allah mengetahui segalanya.

Akal mereka yang tidak waras membuatkan mereka menyangka mereka dapat menipu Allah. Ini kerana tiada sesuatu yang berlaku di dunia ini tersembunyi daripada pengetahuan Allah.

Inilah yang menunjukkan mereka jahil, tidak mengenal Allah. Jika mereka mengetahui, tentu mereka sedar Allah tidak boleh ditipu.

Tipu bererti bencana terhadap diri sendiri, baik di dunia mahupun di akhirat, kerana Allah berkuasa membongkar segala rahsia mereka.

Sesungguhnya, sifat nifak (munafik) adalah penyakit hati yang berbahaya. Dalam konteks sebuah masyarakat, ia adalah duri dalam daging yang menikam dari dalam.

Ini pernah berlaku dalam sejarah Rasulullah s.a.w ketika baginda membina masyarakat Islam pertama di kota Madinah.

Golongan munafik sesungguhnya jauh lebih besar bahayanya daripada orang yang terus kufur. Mereka musuh dalam selimut bagi sesebuah negara, organisasi dan masyarakat.

Dalam ayat berkenaan juga Allah menjelaskan, orang munafik sebenarnya ada penyakit dalam hati mereka.

Muhammad Jamaluddin al-Qasimi dalam tafsirnya berkata, sakit adalah lawan bagi sihat, manakala hati yang sakit bererti hati yang tidak sihat dan lemah keyakinannya terhadap pegangan agama.

Orang munafik sebenarnya berdolak-dalih sikapnya di antara Islam dan kufur.

Di atas sifat itu, Allah menambah terhadap mereka pelbagai penyakit dan sifat keji seperti hasad, dengki, sombong dan penipu.

Akibatnya, mereka akan menerima azab amat pedih di akhirat. Dalam ayat lain Allah berfirman bermaksud: “Sesungguhnya orang munafik (ditempatkan) di tingkat paling bawah di neraka, dan kamu sekali-kali tidak akan mendapat seorang penolong pun bagi mereka.” An-Nisa: 145

Prof Dr Wahbah al-Zuhaili dalam tafsirnya menulis, sejarah membuktikan Rasulullah kerap kali berdepan ancaman munafikin pada zamannya, tetapi akhirnya baginda berjaya menewaskan mereka.

Tabiat sama

Hal ini membenarkan fakta sejarah bahawa munafik dan Yahudi adalah dua perkara yang sepadu dan sebati kerana ia ada sifat dan tabiat sama.

Orang munafik memutar-belitkan orang lain dengan perbuatan dan kata-kata, memperlihatkan kelembutan bahasa dan kehalusan budi.

Bagaimanapun, semua itu sebenarnya ‘racun’ yang boleh membunuh. Demikian kalau kita perhatikan gelagat Yahudi dalam kancah politik dunia hari ini.

Ayat itu sebenarnya menggambarkan apa berlaku di kota Madinah pada zaman Rasulullah s.a.w. Walaupun ayat itu ditujukan kepada golongan munafik, ia juga mencakupi setiap orang yang ada ciri munafik di sepanjang zaman.

Sekali pun masa dan tempat berubah, sifatnya sama. Oleh itu, hukumnya juga sama. Nifak adalah sifat dalaman atau penyakit hati, tidak kira siapa, bangsa, bila dan di mana ia berlaku.

Walaupun masa sudah lama berlalu dan umat Islam tersebar di seluruh dunia, kita dapati gambaran seperti itu berulang lagi kepada generasi hari ini. Kita dapati ramai orang tidak berani menyatakan kebenaran dan keimanannya sebagai mukmin sejati, sebaliknya berani mengingkari kebenaran, sekali pun menjejaskan keimanannya.

Bagi mengenali umat Islam munafik, Rasulullah s.a.w menerangkan beberapa tanda dalam sabdanya bermaksud: “Tanda munafik itu tiga, iaitu apabila dia bercakap dusta, apabila berjanji tidak ditepati dan apabila diserahkan amanah, dikhianati.” (Riyawat Bukhari dan Muslim)

Kesimpulannya, dusta atau sikap talam dua muka adalah ciri munafik. Marilah kita sama-sama beriman dengan ikhlas kepada Allah dengan menjauhkan diri daripada bersifat lain di mulut, lain di hati.

Sebaliknya, bersikap terus terang dalam kata-kata dan berani bertindak, selari dengan keimanan kepada Allah. Inilah sifat mukmin yang sejati. Semoga Allah memberi kita kekuatan berani kerana benar dan takut kerana salah.

Ketawa melampau hilang ilmu

BANYAK ketawa menjadikan hati semakin malap dan tidak berseri. Lampu hati tidak bersinar dan akhirnya terus tidak menyala. Hati juga tidak berfungsi lagi.

Nabi Muhammad s.a.w melarang umatnya daripada gelak-ketawa yang melampaui batas. Ini kerana banyak ketawa menghilangkan akal dan ilmu. Barangsiapa ketawa tergelak-gelak, akan hilang satu pintu daripada pintu ilmu.

Kenapa dilarang ketawa berdekah-dekah? Dalam keadaan suka yang keterlaluan, hati kita lalai dan lupa suasana akhirat dan alam barzah yang bakal kita tempuhi kelak.

Dunia hanya tempat tumpangan sementara. Kita menuju ke destinasi yang belum tentu menjanjikan kebahagiaan abadi. Sepatutnya kita berfikir bagaimana kedudukan kita di sana, sama ada berbahagia atau menderita.

Berbahagia di dunia bersifat sementara, tetapi di akhirat berpanjangan tanpa had. Penderitaan di dunia hanya seketika, tetapi di akhirat azabnya berterusan dan berkekalan.

Merenung dan memikirkan keadaan ini cukup untuk kita menghisab diri serta menyedarkan diri kita mengenai bahaya yang akan ditempuh.

“Tertawa-tawa di masjid menggelapkan suasana kubur,” demikian ditegaskan oleh Rasulullah s.a.w. Kita sedia maklum, kubur ialah rumah yang bakal kita duduki bagi tempoh panjang.

Kita keseorangan dan kesunyian tanpa teman dan keluarga. Kubur adalah satu pintu ke syurga atau neraka. Betapa dalam kegelapan di sana, kita digelapkan lagi dengan sikap kita yang suka terbahak-bahak di dunia.

Ketawa yang melampaui batas menjadikan kita kurang berilmu. Apabila kurang ilmu, akal turun menjadi kurang. Kepekaan terhadap akhirat juga menurun.

Nabi pernah bersabda: “Barangsiapa tertawa-tawa nescaya dilaknat akan dia oleh Allah (Al-Jabbar). Mereka yang banyak tertawa di dunia nescaya banyak menangis di akhirat.”

Saidina Ali sentiasa mengeluh: “...jauhnya perjalanan...sedikitnya bekalan...”

Dalam hadis lain, Rasulullah bersabda, bermaksud: “Barangsiapa banyak tertawa-tawa, nescaya meringankan api neraka.”

Kita tidak pula dilarang menunjukkan perasaan suka terhadap sesuatu. Cuma yang dilarang ialah berterusan gembira dengan ketawa berlebihan.

Sebaik-baik cara bergembira ialah seperti yang dicontohkan oleh Rasullullah s.a.w. Baginda tidak terbahak-bahak, tetapi hanya tersenyum menampakkan gigi tanpa bersuara kuat.

Beberapa sahabatnya pernah berkata: “Ketawa segala nabi ialah tersenyum, tetapi ketawa syaitan itu tergelak-gelak.”

Sunday, June 08, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

Perbezaan nilai dan budaya antara dalam dan luar rumah mewujudkan konflik kepada peribadi anak-anak sehingga menyebabkan timbul kesangsian kepada mereka. Untuk mengatasinya, anak-anak terpaksa mencari pegangan hidup tertentu untuk dijadikan panduan.

Penyelaras Ikatan Mahasiswa Muslim Malaysia Pulau Pinang, Dr Mohd Zin Kandar, berkata konflik yang dihadapi anak-anak sebenarnya banyak didorong oleh persekitaran semasa yang semakin kompleks, termasuk dari segi pergaulan, tahap sosioekonomi serta pertembungan budaya.

“Persekitaran tidak sihat banyak mempengaruhi pelajar ke arah melakukan perbuatan yang salah kerana tiada pegangan boleh dijadikan benteng daripada bertindak di luar batasan.

“Di rumah, kita dapati ibu bapa menerapkan nilai-nilai murni, tetapi apabila mereka keluar, nilai itu tiada dalam masyarakat dan ia akan mempengaruhi diri anak-anak.

“Keadaan menjadi lebih buruk jika gejala itu berpunca daripada sokongan dan dorongan rakan-rakan,” katanya.

Mohd Zin berkata, masalah kesihatan mental di kalangan anak-anak masa kini banyak dikaitkan dengan keadaan zaman yang semakin berubah, selain kehidupan sesebuah keluarga. Menurutnya, apa yang perlu dititikberatkan dalam masalah yang melanda itu ialah institusi kekeluargaan perlu berfungsi sebagai pihak yang mesti bertindak awal menghalangnya daripada menjadi lebih buruk.

“Dalam hal ini, ibu bapa perlu memahami nilai kekeluargaan seperti menerapkan nilai Islam dalam keluarga sehingga mewujudkan hubungan akrab sesama anggota.

“Apa berlaku kini, ia tidak ditunjukkan dalam keluarga dan ibu bapa perlu memulakannya dengan menunjukkan contoh supaya anak-anak dapat mengikuti apa yang dilakukan mereka,” katanya.

Kata beliau, yang menjadi masalah ialah ada ibu bapa meminta anak-anak bersolat, tetapi mereka sendiri tidak berbuat demikian.
Katanya, apabila anak-anak semakin membesar dan boleh berfikir secara matang, akan timbul di dalam diri mereka persoalan mengapa ibu bapa tidak melakukan apa yang disuruh mereka dan ini akan mencetuskan konflik dalaman yang membawa kepada penentangan arahan yang diberikan.

Mohd Zin yang juga pakar motivasi berkata, nasihat saja tidak mencukupi untuk memberi contoh terbaik kepada anak kerana tindakan juga penting ditunjukkan kepada mereka.

“Masalah kesihatan mental yang dihadapi pelajar ketika ini akan memberi kesan kepada pembelajaran di sekolah.

“Apabila fikiran mereka bermasalah, tumpuan terhadap pelajaran akan terjejas kerana mereka bukan dalam keadaan sihat untuk belajar,” katanya.

al fatihah to one of our friend who's sister passed away in an accident (refer to today's headlines in utusan.com.my). May she be blessed... ameen

we had a picnic today at Vilas Picnic Point -- Kak Sah and family and Kak Aya's children came! yeay! we had chickens, sosej, corns and some desserts -- alhamdulillah it went well, at the end Abg Malik asked Nurin if she wanted to come home with us; she said YES! huhuhu... but then she need to ask Kak Aya's permission first (maybe tomorrow Nurin!?) :-)

Saturday, May 31, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

NURIN CAMELA -- a beautiful name for a pure and wonderful child, kak Aya & abg malik's newborn daughter. I held her 12 hours after she was born and changed her diaper too! masyaAllah that was the best moment in my life... how small, how red and how beautiful she is... :-)

big nurin was so happy when she first saw the baby, dun wanna be apart from her little sister, how sweet! I was babysitting them the whole night yesterday. Even Irfan and Mifzal couldn't wait to see their new sister. He kept touching camela's face as it is very soft. Kak Aya is still tired and need some rest. The baby was born at 0448 am 30th May 2003 with 8 lb 6 oz and 20 1/2 "... alhamdulillah...

Those kids are so well-trained, wakes up early in the morning, have their breakfast, go to soccer game, read books, take a nap, and all... subhanallah!!! may Allah give me strength to shape my child as well insyaAllah... ameen

My family is at Terengganu right now, finishing our unfinished house there. I think that is some sort of sign that my abah will retired early.. hmm... what to do? that's his choice and I know he already had a plan for him and for the family insyaAllah... my sis and her husband is helping too...

"Wahai Tuhanku! Masukkanlah daku ke dalam urusan agamaku dengan kemasukan yang benar lagi mulia, serta keluarkanlah daku daripadanya dengan cara keluar yang benar lagi mulia dan berikanlah kepadaku dari sisiMu hujah keterangan serta kekuasaan yang menolongku," [Surah Al-Israa' : 80]

Wednesday, May 28, 2003

Waba (Wanita Alaf Baru)

Definasi Sumbang mahram

Sumbang mahram adalah hubungan seksual di antara lelaki dan perempuan yang dilarang bernikah oleh agama atau adat. Sebagai contoh - bapa dan anak perempuan, ibu dan anak lelaki, abang dan adik perempuan, bapa dan anak tiri, datuk dan cucu.

(1) Faktor sumbang mahram berlaku

Mangsa senang didekati oleh perogol
Ketiadaan hadangan yang boleh menyekat perbuatan itu daripada berlaku
Perbuatan tersebut tidak mudah diketahui oleh orang lain

(2) Fakta-fakta:

Berlainan dengan kes rogol, kekerasan tidak digunakan di dalam kes sumbang mahram. Ini adalah kerana kedudukan perogol sebagai bapa/ahli keluarga yang dianggap oleh mangsa sebagai pemimpin/pelindung keluarga
Mangsa sumbang mahram yang masih muda dan mentah tidak dapat menilai buruk baik perbuatan sumbang mahram. Apabila bapa/ahli keluarga meminta mangsa melakukan perbuatan sumbang mahram, mangsa akan akur kerana anak/mangsa telah dilatih untuk patuh dan menghormati orang tua.
Mangsa yang muda tidak dapat melawan kekuatan fizikal perogol menyebabkan mangsa merasa takut akan dicederakan dan terpaksa menurut kehendak perogol
Oleh kerana mangsa bergantung hidup kepada perogol dari segi ekonomi dan tempat berteduh menyebabkan mangsa sentiasa berada dalam ketakutan dan bimbang jika mereka dihalau dari rumah

Perbuatan sumbang mahram adalah satu perbuatan yang tersembunyi dan tidak mudah diketahui oleh orang lain. Oleh yang demikian perbuatan sumbang mahram hanya terdedah apabila mangsa tersebut hamil.

Mangsa sumbang mahram teragak-agak untuk mendapatkan pertolongan kerana:

takut dan bimbang ibu/ahli keluarga tidak akan mempercayainya
tidak mahu bapa/ahli keluarganya dipenjarakan dan seterus menyebabkan ahli keluarga yang lain hilang tempat bergantung
di mana mangsa merasa malu dan menyalahkan diri sendiri
ahli keluarga meminta mangsa merahsiakan perbuatan sumbang tersebut
tidak tahu untuk memberitahu atau mengadu kepada siapa
Hukuman ke atas pesalah sumbang mahram
Sumbang mahram adalah satu jenayah yang terkutuk dan lebih serius daripada rogol biasa kerana ia dilakukan oleh seorang lelaki yang telah dipertanggungjawabkan oleh masyarakat dan keluarga untuk menjaga, memimpin dan memberi teladan yang baik kepada gadis yang dinodai melalui sumbang mahram.

Apabila pesalah sumbang mahram disabit kesalahan, mereka boleh dihukum di bawah seksyen 376A Kanun Keseksaan

“Pelaku sumbang mahram wajar dihukum berat. Kalau ikut kehendak saya, kita bawa saja pelaku sumbang mahram ke khalayak ramai dan ditibai “ Perdana Menteri
Langkah-langkah pencegahan sumbang mahram. Menyedarkan masyarakat bahawa perbuatan sumbang mahram adalah perbuatan terkutuk dan perbuatan yang dilarang oleh agama melalai program-program berbentuk keagamaan sama ada pada peringkat kampung, daerah, negeri dan negara. Mendidik ibubapa mengenai tanggungjawab mereka untuk menjaga dan melindungi anak mereka. Mengalakkan masyarakat sekeliling memandang sumbang mahram sebagai satu masalah serius dan menanam sikap membantu. Memberi pendidikan kesedaran mengenai jenayah sumbang mahram kepada kanak-kanak
Menggalakkan mangsa, ahli keluarga, jiran dan masyarakat untuk membuat laporan kepada pihak berkuasa supaya perbuatan sumbang mahram itu diberhentikan dan pesalah menerima hukuman setimpal
Menghukum pesalah sumbang mahram dengan hukuman berat supaya orang ramai akan takut untuk melakukan perbuatan sumbang mahram

(3) Peranan anda sebagai orang awam

Sumbang mahram adalah satu masalah serius dalam masyarakat kita. Ia bukan masalah keluarga tetapi adalah masalah masyarakat. Jika anda atau seseorang yang anda kenali dan sayangi mempunyai tanda-tanda dirogol, anda mungkin boleh melakukan sesuatu untuk membantu keadaan.Anda juga perlu memainkan perana dalam usaha mencegah sumbang mahram.Anda boleh melakukannya dengan melaporkan kes-kes tersebut kepada pihak polis.

[dipetik dari WABA]
assalamualeikum wbt

today is the first day of summer class. Arrived at Badger #7 around 8:30 pm yesterdat after a long trip back from Purdue University. We had fun, sad and bitter experiences. Most of all, it was an enjoyable vacation with old and new friends :-)

There was something going on yesterday. Well, somebody hurt her shoulder and unfortunately couldn't drive her car and so she asked the guy who was supposed to drive with us to drive her car. It was a last minute changes and we weren't that happy with it. But why? First and foremost, we already planned to go somewhere, the four of us and next the driver exchanging cost our time a lot. From waiting to actually departing. We should be moving at 9 am but we did so only after 11 am. It doesn't matter whosever driving which car, but what does matter was that the deal, the time and the plan. We had our plan, so did anyone else. Anyone will be mad if their plan were disturbed 'severely' I should say!

but you are such a good person, with patience, understanding and politeness until they/she took advantages on you. Why would you buy her words? why? Honestly, you're such a good person -- I felt so small sitting next to you, just like being next to my big bro. Keep it up kay!?

and I -- I'm the worst person in the world. Contributing nothing to anyone except myself (how selfish!), with my fluctuated mood and sour faces I was behaving very bad. Hate myself for that; seriously!

Yus met with accident on her field trip. "May she recover fast, ameen..."

The grand nite of Midwest -- what went on? nothing much, I had nothing to wear and so I just wore my long sleeve t shirt and jeans. Met Kak Rus and other officers in the elevator and she did offered me her cloth but I refused. But then I went on mumbling about my own costume and maybe made my friends bored. Sorry guys! We had dinner and then performance and Award giving ceremony. Performance: wow!!!!!!!!! funny, sexy, more than expected!

oh oh... met ex-mrsms' : yazrol, husni, kak yana & kak yani. met Farid, met pojie yg kurussss, met the newly wed couples, met Lynne!!!!! huhuhu... and many more people... it was fun and intresting! Farid pendek hehe...

okeh... I dropped my Interpersonal Com class today, and will be taking music class which only starts on June 16 until Aug 10. InsyaAllah could help Kak Ruhaya taking care of her child yeay!

wanted to go on trip, but dunno where to go or with whom. So, anyone who is free and financially stable, please come to Madison. I'll cook anything you want and guide you through all places in Madison insyaAllah... :-)

and and... to anyone who wanted to travel but have nobody to go with, contact la me... insyaAllah I'll think about it -- save money, can meet new friends and old ones, can buy2 thing whatt... hehe... semua orang best! serius!

About Sabar
=========
Sabar isn't just perbuatan but also a music instrument. A Western African Instruments.

Sabar, Sabaro (drum)

The main drum of the Senegalese M'balax, the sabar is a drum of more than a metre and is used to party! Its single head is beaten by the left hand while the right hand provides syncopation with a tiny stick. Lots of music and dances are baed around the beat of these drums in West Africa, such as the highly charged dance "le ventilateur".

why Sabar? sebab itulah yang dianjurkan dan disuruh oleh Allah dan dilakukan oleh Rasulullah. When we sabar, other people will become sabar too and vice versa. But when you lost your sabar, sometime somebody can get hurt physically or emotionally. See! How strong sabar is? Jom, let's SABAR! :-)

Saturday, May 17, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

alhamdulillah....
Exam is over. Now is the time to reflect : what did I do this semester? (I'm sitting in my room with unpleasant smell, I think somebody down stair is smoking!)

well, what did I do? I went back to Malaysia for my sister's wedding, I took classes, I pretty much did what others did. hmm.. smell something different? NO? hmm... well, I did! 2 couples are getting married tomorrow in Purdue University but I couldn't go as it is far -- moga kekal ke anak cucu insyaAllah... :-)

I am thinking of changing my major to Mathematics instead of Comp Sci. WHY? hmm.. don't have 'the moment' with cs but a little moment with maths. But, am need to deal with MARA first la... ayooo so afraid la... so how?

there's something new on the internet, friendster.com where you could have huge networks with friends around the world! try it then u know what I meant! :-)

There's a basketball practice tomorrow at 1 -- am playing for UW tuh!!!! 'Allahualam... reserve player jer kot. Nothing much to say tonite, insyaAllah will get back tomorrow or at any appropriate time.

Tuesday, May 13, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

my cs exam went well this morning, alhamdulillah... I went to work after the exam just to find out that I have hundreds of WI maps to scan. Well, at least am not doing levelling :-) Thanks Pat. I bought few stuff from Yue Wah since our chicken already finished. aiyyaaa... everyday chicken... hehe...

here's something to reflect [about relationship with others]

From the most important principles that should be followed when building relationships with people are:

Correct the relationship between yourself and Allah and Allah will then correct the relationship between yourself and others. Studies have proved that every individual has his own unique pattern of understanding and that patterns are usually one of the following:

-A visual pattern, i.e. one looks at the world and deals with it from a physical point of view.
-A hearing pattern, i.e. one looks at the world and deals with it based on the words that one hears (one better understands by hearing).
-An emotion-based pattern, i.e. one looks at the world through one's emotions and inner feelings.

If you succeed in understanding how a particular individual perceives things (i.e., which pattern one emphasizes), then you can more easily achieve harmony and understanding between the two of you, as well as achieve confidence in your relationship. Put yourself in the place of others and let them hear from you what you like to hear from them, and behave with them the way you like them to behave with you. Always keep smiling, especially during difficult situations and incidents. Keep your calm and self control when provoked. Always be sensitive to feelings of others, their rights and their needs. Choose your words carefully, especially during the first encounter. Be cheerful when speaking and beware of dull facial expressions and tough looks even if your words are very nice. When the atmosphere is not appropriate to talk about a particular subject, then it is better to end the talk about that subject in a courteous way and postpone it to a more appropriate time. Decorate your talk with jokes and proverbs without making this overwhelming in your talk, and tell only the truth. This will induce an interactive discussion.

Give away gifts even if small ones and rush to help others even if in little ways, because these are means of winning hearts and of building relationships. It is related in Adab al-Mufrad of Al-Bukhari that the Prophet (may peace and blessing be upon him) said:
"Give gifts as it will create love amongst you."
Spread Salam (Islamic greeting) and reply to a greeting with a better one. This is a key to winning others' hearts, so be eager to own this key. Keep your promises and be truthful in your talk. This will make others love you even when you cannot accomplish what they want. Be generous within your means. Even whatever little that you may give will put you in a high position in the hearts of people. No one can win the hearts of others while he is described as stingy and not generous. Be simple and spontaneous in dealing with others. Being organized in your life will make you win others' respect, even that of your enemies. Be clean in your body, mouth and clothing, be stylish without exaggeration, and put on a nice fragrance; all these will make others that are dealing with you more comfortable, instead of making them avoid you. These principles can be applied under all circumstances and in all roles - at work, at home, with our husband or our wife, our father, our sons, our friends, or with strangers.

when communicating, each person need to take into account the other person thoughts and feeling. The act of listening is important!
Never interrupt a talk though you know it inside out. Even me myself didn't practice this very well, but will keep trying heh... I did remember times when my mom was talking to her friends and I was there, if I ever open my mouth, my mom would look at me with angry face, and so I just stood there quietly, trying very very hard to understand what were they talking about. Funny!

Yes, If I were given a chance to make a wish, I wish to see cik Dillah -- misses her so much although I never meet her in person, we talked on the phone, exchanged emails and etc. "awakkkkkkk..... rindu la.... iskk..."

oh ye, I came across Saifuddin's page (my BWP's president in MRSM) hmm... he seemed happy with new gurl -- sian alisa... ape la din! ape kurangnya alisa tuh? cuba habaq maiii kat cek! tapi, takpa la... nak buat lagu mana, mmg dah takde rezeki hangpa berdua... baguih jugak, boley alisa belajaq betui2.. kan? heh... cinta koprat dulu tuh.. huhuhuhu...

Saturday, May 10, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

I read this @ emedia

Pastikan makanan halal

SAYA sering membeli dan memakan makanan yang dilabelkan dengan perkataan halal tetapi tiada pengesahan daripada pihak berkuasa, seperti Bahagian Hal Ehwal Agama Islam, Jabatan Perdana Menteri. Apakah makanan itu sememangnya halal untuk dijamah oleh umat Islam?

Kiriman: Zam, Kuala Pilah

JAWAPAN

Umat Islam perlu memastikan semua makanan yang hendak dimakan adalah halal. Jika ada label halal tapi tiada pengesahan, kita boleh merujuk kepada jabatan berkenaan untuk memastikan ia benar-benar halal. Ramai pembekal makanan mengambil sikap mudah, hanya menulis halal tetapi gagal menepati syaratnya kerana halal dan haram bukan hanya pada babi tetapi masih ada syarat lain.

Umat Islam usah mudah kalah

AKIBAT sentiasa menghadapi masalah hidup dan tekanan perasaan, teman saya pernah berkata: “...tak guna menjadi orang Islam.” Kata-kata itu dilafazkan kerana baginya, kebaikan tidak pernah menyebelahi hidupnya. Adakah dengan kata-kata itu boleh menyebabkan teman saya menjadi murtad?

Kiriman: Eddy, Chini

JAWAPAN

Ucapan sedemikian sudah menghampirkan diri pada murtad. Pertama, kerana menyesal menjadi Islam, sedangkan menjadi Islam adalah satu nikmat dari Tuhan. Kedua, ada unsur tidak percaya kepada takdir yang ditentukan Allah untuk manusia.

Tekanan perasaan dan masalah yang menimpa adalah kerana perbuatan manusia sendiri. Orang Islam ada panduan hidup, jadi dia tidak mudah kalah atau kecewa dalam hidup, sebaliknya dia nampak kesempatan dalam setiap kehidupan. Berilah bantuan dan nasihat pada teman itu supaya dia berasa masih ada lagi orang Islam lain yang mahu membantunya.

Sunat khatankan anak perempuan

ANAK perempuan saya berusia empat tahun, tetapi masih belum berkhatan atas sebab tertentu. Saya ingin penjelasan ustazah mengenai masalah berkenaan dan apakah hukum berkhatan terhadap anak perempuan?

Kiriman: Rohani, Kangar

JAWAPAN

Mengkhatankan anak perempuan hukumnya sunat dan dikatakan Nabi sebagai penghormatan pada wanita. Jika ibu bapa mahu memberi penghormatan eloklah dilakukan, itu pun dengan hanya membuang sedikit. Jangan terlalu banyak kerana Nabi melahirkan rasa khuatir baginda jika banyak, akan menghilangkan kenikmatan suami isteri bila dia berkahwin nanti.

Cukur hingga botak

MASYARAKAT Melayu sering mengadakan majlis mencukur jambul atau rambut bayi yang baru lahir. Adakah ia disyariatkan dalam Islam atau sekadar satu adat dalam amalan masyarakat Melayu?

Kiriman: Ana, Parit Buntar

JAWAPAN
Bercukur bukan saja adat Melayu tetapi adalah sesuatu yang disunatkan dalam Islam, cuma perlu dibetulkan cara melaksanakan supaya adat itu selari dengan kehendak agama.

Perbuatan mencukur sedikit saja, yang mana beberapa orang terkenal menggunting sedikit rambut bayi, adalah bertentangan dengan kehendak agama. Sebaliknya yang menjadi tuntutan ialah mencukur sehingga botak dan kemudian ditimbang rambut itu dan disedekahkan nilai harga emas pada beratnya.
assalamualeikum wbt

we had MSA voting today... seemed hot! it was a relief to see people voice out their opinion rather than back bitting although I was not. Dinner MSA -- $15 dollar per head -- that is reasonable but I can't pay that much. It's ok la, not big of a deal if I wasn't there :-) in fact it is better because I dun have to see people wearing extraordinary 'costumes' (not pointing anyone ehhh...) hopefully nobody wil be wearing the 'satan' costume anymore la... insyaAllah...

the more you tried being strict about certain issue, the more people hate you -- true! the more you keep quiet, the more people assume your 'evilness'... why? why? and WHY? and and... the more you talking, the more you talk sins... rite? I language, I language

Midwest issue is getting bigger -- dun care la if I couldn't go, just wanna see kak Yana, kak Yani and their mother (long time no seee...) who's fault? dunno... no pointing pointing to people aaaa...

what else to say? no more la... but I am very very feeling guilty for all my doings previously .. Allah knows what I did... "may Allah forgive me, my family and all the Muslims in this world...ameen"

GooD LucK to people with finals tomorrow and days after... "may Allah make it easy for us... ameen"

sayang mak, sayang abah, sayang mekmah, sayang arif, sayang eka, sayang mamat.... ok la, suke atan... (bro in law aaa...) :-)

Thursday, May 08, 2003

assalamualeikum wbt

am working at soc sci ref lib rite now. Not too many people here and so I can study for finals :-) insyaAllah.... I came across this intresting story:

KISAH SEEKOR ULAT DENGAN NABI DAUD A.S

Dalam sebuah kitab Imam Al-Ghazali menceritakan pada suatu ketika tatkala Nabi Daud A.S sedang duduk dalam suraunya sambil membaca kitab az-Zabur, dengan tiba-tiba dia terpandang seekor ulat merah pada debu.

Lalu Nabi Daud A.S. berkata pada dirinya, "Apa yang dikehendaki Allah dengan ulat ini?"

Sebaik sahaja Nabi Daud selesai berkata begitu, maka Allah pun mengizinkan ulat merah itu berkata-kata. Lalu ulat merah itu pun mula berkata-kata kepada Nabi Daud A.S. "Wahai Nabi Allah! Allah S.W.T telah mengilhamkan kepadaku untuk membaca 'Subhanallahu walhamdulillahi wala ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar' setiap hari sebanyak 1000 kali dan pada malamnya Allah mengilhamkan kepadaku supaya membaca 'Allahumma solli ala Muhammadin annabiyyil ummiyyi wa ala alihi wa sohbihi wa sallim' setiap malam sebanyak 1000 kali.

Setelah ulat merah itu berkata demikian, maka dia pun bertanya kepada Nabi Daud A.S. "Apakah yang dapat kamu katakan kepadaku agar aku dapat faedah darimu?"

Akhirnya Nabi Daud menyedari akan kesilapannya kerana memandang remeh akan ulat tersebut, dan dia sangat takut kepada Allah S.W.T. maka Nabi Daud A.S. pun bertaubat dan menyerah diri kepada Allah S.W.T.

Begitulah sikap para Nabi A.S. apabila mereka mentedari kesilapan yang telah dilakukan maka dengan segera mereka akan bertaubat dan menyerah diri kepada Allah S.W.T. Kisah-kisah yang berlaku pada zaman para nabi bukanlah untuk kita ingat sebagai bahan sejarah, tetapi hendaklah kita jadikan sebagai teladan supaya kita tidak memandang rendah kepada apa sahaja makhluk Allah yang berada di bumi yang sama-sama kita tumpangi ini.

Prophet Daud (David) in the Quran....

"We gave him Isaac, and Jacob: all We guided and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny David, Solomon, Ayub, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron :Thus do We reward those who do good. And Zakariya and Yahya, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of righteous. And Isma'il and Elisha and Jonah (Yunus) and Lut. And to all we gave favour above the nations." [Qur'an An'am 6:84-86]

The Qur'an contains many stories of the prophets sent to Bani Israel. We can read about the story of the rise of Daud (pbuh), who was the King of the Israelites , particularly of Saul's fight with Goliath (jalut) and Goliath's death at the hands of Daud (pbuh).The war broke out between the Israelites and the Philistines. The army of the Philistines was commanded by Goliath who was a man of lofty stature. The Israelites were overawed to see Goliath's army which was well accoutred. Daud (pbuh) called out his opponents to combat but none of the Israelites had the courage to accept the challenge. The people of Bani Israel had no courage, and the Prophet Daud could not bear this disgrace. So he decided to face Goliath for the sake of truth, honour and dignity. His story reveals that justice is an essential part of faith and, further, that God loves the just and abhors the unjust.

Also we know that Daud's yougest son, Prophet Sulaimán (pbuh) was a wise King. His efforts to first subdue the powerful Queen of Sheba and later to persuade her to take the right path also find a place in the Qur'an.