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Friday, January 21, 2011

Sharing: My 60th post

This post is adapted from msocsite.blogspot.com. Permission is granted as I am part of the committee. Do share and show that we care ;-)
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Assalamualaikum w.b.t

The above is the front cover of our newly published magazine for January 2011. It is for you and people you want to share it with, and don't worry it's free. For download, please go to our download page (section) above (please go to msocsite.blogspot.com). This one you see (above) is the 41st Edition. On the download page, you can also download the previous edition and other materials as well if you are interested.

Alternative: Click here
 
The following are some snapshots of the magazine in the electronic version. There will be a background music as well for this version. This January edition (Theme: Wake Up) features the song 'Hear Your Call' by Sami Yusuf.






Willing to contribute?

We welcome you. And we will try to accomodate as many contributions not only into the magazine but also on our blog. 
Should there is good response, we will however have to filter and choose the best from the best before we selectively publish them.

As promised, IMU students currently studying in Bukit Jalil will be presented with a special gift as a way of saying thank you from us. But then again, we hope Allah will reward us more, as not only He is the Most Wealthy, His reward is also the best, especially in the Hereafter.

Just so that we can contact you, thank you and inform you if yours is selected, please provide us the following:

1. Full Name (We will not publish this and keep it private if you tell us so)
2. Pen name (If any)
3. Email and Phone Number
4. Batch Name e.g. ME108 (If you are from IMU) 


Thank you for dropping by. We hope to hear from you and we pray may Allah always bless us all. For any inquiries, please contact us at msoc2010@yahoogroups.com
Read more "Sharing: My 60th post"

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Do We Wish?


Assalamualaikum w.b.t


Every year, even in Malaysia of multiracial and multireligious background, we have many celebrations and religious events. In this article, the subject of discussion is Christmas, which is celebrated by Christians (and nowadays by many non-Christians too) on the 25th of December every year across the globe.

An issue however arises. For Muslims, is it okay if we wish a Merry Christmas to our Christian friends? 

Well, I am not in the position to give the answer. But the following is a piece of thought, assisted by a number of reference I read and studied through, that I hope will help all of us clear the doubt and  so that we become more vigilant plus particular in every single thing that we do.

Please take note that I will elaborate on this topic based on 2 different resources I have referred to, one strictly against and the other provides substantial reasons why it is permissible to wish Merry Christmas.

Why can not?
We have to understand that while we Muslims and Christians both believe in  Jesus, or Prophet Isa a.s, there are some major differences between Islam and Christianity that we have to be absolutely clear about. The Christians do not only believe that Christmas is the day Jesus was born, but they misleadingly claim that it was the birth of the Son of God. This is where one of the major clashes exists.

In Islam, the Quran explicitly tells us that Allah does not beget, neither is He begotten. It is in Surah Al-Ikhlas, Chapter 112, verse number 3. Jesus is therefore, not Allah's son, but only another slave to Allah, just like us, except that he was chosen to be one of His messengers.

That is why the author argues that wishing a Merry Christmas or Selamat Hari Natal (in Malay) to the non-believers is regarded as an acknowledgement to the grave error they have made- believing that Allah has a son. So, we have to be careful, because when we say Merry Christmas or if we celebrate Christmas with them, are we actually agreeing to their belief when they assign a partner to Allah by making Jesus His son (and thus makes him another God)?

Do not get the message wrong. We in Islam are strongly encouraged to mingle well with all people which of course, include the non-Muslims, but when it comes to Tauhid (divine oneness), we should never compromise. In Surah Al-Kafirun,  Chapter 109, in the last Verse, it says, "To you be your way, and to me mine," suggesting that we can never mix the truth and falsehood together. That is why we are admonished to enter Islam fully. (2:208)

Remember that Allah has already given a stern warning regarding this matter whereby He said in Surah Al-Maryam, Chapter 19, Verses 88-90, "They say, "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!" Indeed you have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin."

Permissibility
Meanwhile, it is argued by another author that it is not a problem to greet somebody Merry Christmas as there is no verse in the Quran or any statement in Hadiths that explicitly forbid us to do so.

In fact, in Surah An-Nisa', Chapter 4, verse 86, Allah says that, "When a (courteous) greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy. Allah takes careful account of all things."

The Merry Christmas greetings are deemed to be something that is not ritual, not an act of worship but rather a means of communicating good words to one another, which if that is the case, Islam has no problem with it.

Personally, alhamdulillah, as far as I can remember, I have never greeted anybody Merry Christmas, even on Facebook. What I usually did was merely asking how was their holiday or how's Christmas, which in a way shows how we are concerned about other people even though there are not Muslims, and more importantly, these days, such event (Christmas) is more to a get together time (where family members meet) just like Eidul Fitri for Muslims here in Malaysia. Therefore, Islam never puts us in trouble but is very tolerant when it comes to relationship with mankind, although being tolerant doesn't mean that we have to compromise. 

It is good however, as friends, we always have to be clear about our belief and where and when it necessitates, we explain to them the correct principle we hold in Islam, that Allah has no son, and Jesus is certainly not His son- in the most gracious manner and kind words of course. As Allah says this in the Quran, (29:46), "And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)." 

Also, in Surah An-Nahl, Chapter 16, verse 125, Allah instructs us the following, "Invite (all) to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious; for your Lord knows best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance."

Conclusion
Again, I do not intend to give an absolute yes or no to the question of whether or not we can say Merry Christmas to our Christian friends as a courtesy in our friendly relationship, but personally I don't think there should be any problem with people doing it, though I at my best will always avoid it. 

Instead, there are always many alternatives, such as asking about their families and holidays, which by right is more meaningful if we think about it. The most important point we have to grasp from this article is that, for everything that Islam allows and forbids in this world, we have to abide by them because we believe in Allah, and it is tremendously important that we seek knowledge and never be judgemental without any proper investigation, let alone to be a blind follower.

I seek refuge, blessings and protection from Allah, may He always guide us to His straight path, and I seek forgiveness for any mistakes and weakness incurred from my article as I am just an ordinary guy, trying best to convey the true message of Islam, while at the same time, I too am learning.

Take care all. Wallahua'lam. Wassalam.

Authored by:
Ibnu Hanaffi
(for msocsite.blogspot.com)

Extra Reading
In case you have some time to continue reading, here are 5 major beliefs in Christianity which are deemed false and contradictory for us in Islam. I hope it is helpful, especially in our understanding of Christianity, and therefore Islam.

1. Original Sin

According to them, we all inherit a sin by our great great grandparents Adam and Eve- known as original sin or ancestral sin. But Islam explains against this statement and the existence of original sin with the following few examples of verses from Quran.

a) "And if anyone earns sins, he earns it against his own soul: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom." (Surah An-Nisa', 4:111)
b) "Who receives guidance, receives it for his own benefit: who goes astray does so to his own loss: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent a messenger (to give warning)." (Surah Al-Isra', 17:15)

2. Sonship of Jesus

Again, Allah has stated very clearly in many verses in the Quran that He does not beget and is not begotten e.g in Surah Al-Ikhlas, (112:3).

As to the fact that Jesus was born without father so Allah must be his father, this argument is utterly misleading because Allah can create a man without a father if He wills it such. In fact, Prophet Adam was created without father and more interestingly, he had no mother too!

Moreover, Allah has explained in Surah Ali Imran, Chapter 3, verse 59 that "The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be": and he was."

3. Divinity of Jesus

The above leads to this third one i.e if Jesus is the son of God, so he must be a God too. If Jesus is God, then he is divine. But then again, this belief is an absolute mistake. Firstly, of course Jesus is not God because we have already stated earlier that he is not the son of God.

In Surah Al-Maidah, Chapter 5, Verse 117, "(Jesus said) Never said I to them aught except what You did command me to say, to wit, 'Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord'; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when You did take me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a witness to all things."

Obviously, if Jesus was a God, he would have not called Allah his God (Lord), and he would have asked the people to worship him too instead, if he was a God. But he didn't, because he was not a God, but a messenger of Allah.


4. Crucifixion

The most weird thing is that, a healthy and rational mind would quickly question that, if Jesus was a God, how was it possible for a God to be crucified by men? And if Jesus is the son of God, how could God allow His son to suffer from the pain of the crucification (as also portrayed by many movies about Jesus created by Westerners like Mel Gibson)?

Indeed, Jesus, the man we believe to be Prophet Isa a.s, he was not crucified. But this is not known until 600 years later (after the claimed crucification), when Al-Quran was sent down to our beloved Prophet, Muhammad SAW.

In Surah An-Nisa', Chapter 4, Verses 157-158, "That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah,"; but they killed him not, nor crucified him but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not (157); Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise (158)."

5. Trinity

While it is sort of funny that even the Christians can't explain this very confusing and bizarre concept of trinity, it is even funnier that the word trinity is not found in any place in Bibles- whatever versions it is. However, interestingly enough, this concept of 3 in 1 God, is already clearly denounced in Islam which can be found in the Quran itself! Masya Allah, praise be upon Him, Who knows all and every single thing that is apparent and that is hidden, that has happened and that will happen.


In Surah Al-Maidah, Chapter 5, Verse 73, Allah says, "They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is one of three in a Trinity:" for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them."

Another one is in Surah An-Nisa', Chapter 4, Verse 171. Do check it out ;-)

Wallahua'lam. Hope this is informative ;-)

Reference:

1. Wikipedia
2. http://www.soundvision.com/info/christmas/ctreat.asp
3. http://revarius.blogdetik.com/ucapan-selamat-natal-dari-muslim-bolehkah/
4. http://www.eramuslim.com/nasihat-ulama/renungan-soal-ucapan-selamat-natal.htm
5. (Extra Reading) Extraction of points taken from the Friendly Comparative Religion (FCR) Workshop

Read more "Do We Wish?"

Sunday, January 2, 2011

My 22nd Year: A Reflection

O' my Lord, make me a man of faith, a man of knowledge and a man of love. Ameen..
Assalamualaikum w.b.t


“...This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion...”   (Surah Al-Maidah, 5:3)

1. The verse above is among one of the very late verses sent down to our final Prophet Muhammad SAW before He passed away and left us all with the deen we now call Islam.

2. Turning 21 today (2nd January 2010), I intend to make a number of reflections so that life ahead is insya Allah a lot better and more meaningful, until I breathe my last.

3. Rasulullah SAW died at the age of 63, after 23 years of a blessed struggle spreading the message of the final revelation to the whole mankind both in Mecca and Medina. 

4. No one can guarantee that I may be given at least 23 more years to enlighten myself and people around me with knowledge, let alone to confirm that I am going to reach 63. But assuming that I am going to live at least up to that age, I hereby want to do a simple maths =)

5. The 21st year is by right the completion of my one third of life- which means I have exactly another 42 years before 63, which is the remaining two third. Anyone with agile and healthy mind would certainly realize that in life, another two third of any period in life is not long. Moreover, we are in an age when time moves faster than it used to be, suggesting that even the earth is ageing faster and reaching the day of its death.

6. Well, I came across one article from SPACE.com that elaborates on how an 8.8 earthquake at Chile (like many other earthquakes preceding it) early last year had an impact on the rotation of the earth and therefore shortened the day.

7. We all learn in Science that a day in general is defined by one complete rotation of the earth. Cutting this short, an impact on the rotation of the earth does affect the speed of a day in which we are living.

8. Let me now try to connect the facts. Isn't it not true that Rasulullah SAW has told us that among the signs of the coming of the Hour (Last Day) is when time moves faster than before? Imam Bukhari also narrated that when earthquakes are frequent, it is also a sign of the Last Day. Which means (but may not necessarily be the only explanation), that the earthquake and faster time are interconnected and they are both mentioned in separate hadiths. Clearly, event after event that unfold in this world, along with the increasing number of scientific discoveries, make more sense to us towards understanding the prophecies made by our Prophet Muhammad SAW thousands of years ago.

9. But that's besides the point. The real point is, are we only going to enter into Islam fully during the Final Day itself? Alas, that would absolutely be too late so why not we now count on the days we have lived and grasp some reflections from them. 

10. As for me, twenty one years have already gone past. I am now in my 22nd year of life and I feel old. It's a fact. People said that I look older than my eldest brother! Well, wait until I grow more beard =P

11. I have faith that Allah allows me to continue life because indeed, I have many promises to fulfil, debts to clear, obligations to follow and sins to compensate. I have been very ambitious at times, and I am always positive that all my dreams will come true, so long as I work hard for them.

12. As I now begin my new year, I pray a lot to be more loving towards my family, as I think I somehow spent most of my quality time with others, at the expense of my own loved ones. 

13. Nevertheless, life must go on and I hold firmly to a personal conviction that to be a better son and brother in a family, I first have to be a better person to myself. 

14. The year 2011, will therefore be a year of achievements and accomplishment. There are family to love, medical degree to pursue, life skills to polish, debating teams to look after, society to take care of, relationship to strengthened, places to visit and more friends to make. This list is not exhaustive of course. And I thought maybe to get married should not be in the list- yet. haha =p

15. I am now working on the topic the international monetary system and intend to further enhance my apprehension in subjects related to the Last Day and how it is connected to the unfolding events and society we live with today. Insya Allah, while the heart is still pumping, I will always give it my best to share and learn, as life is agreeably an endless process of learning.

16. As a final note, I whole-heartedly apologize for all my wrong doings to all of you. Life is short, trust me. Let us forgive each other today and move on. Cherish every moment with the loved ones and make a plan to contribute today. What is life without giving ;-)

17. Al-Fatihah to my dear brothers Syarif Hakim (INTEC) for the passing of her lovely mother and also Zulikhwan Ayub (MCKK) for the passing of his most beloved sister. May Allah place them both in the place He grants to people whom are promised Paradise. Ameen~

Wallahua'lam. Take care all. Wassalam =)

With Love, 
Ibnu Hanaffi

" O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do (precisely) what they are commanded. " (Surah At-Tahrim, 66:6)

I aspire to fly high.. (oh ok, but not with the tortoise of course=p)
P/S: According to the Islamic Calendar though, I was born on Tuesday, 4th of Jamadil Akhir, 1410 Hijriah. And oh, my mom said that I was born after Isya' which she said may be the reason why I am a bit darker compared to her haha. It was a joke anyway ;-)
Read more "My 22nd Year: A Reflection"

Followers

The Colours of Life

The Colours of Life
Picture taken on Syawal 1, 2009

THE BELOVED FAMILY-Hey, do the maths!

Dad: Mohd Hanaffi bin Hassin
Mom: Noorma bte Mamat

Siblings:

Mohd Ridzwan
Nurul Shuhada
Mohd Amirul Asyraf (blog owner)
Fatihah Sakinah
Nurul Ain Afifah
Ilyana Nazlin
Nur Amira Mawaddah
Mohd Aizat Aiman
Nur Anis
Mohd Amri Afiq