1. The first 2 lines above is the style of writing I have adopted for my blog. If you are a non-Muslim, let me kindly help translate to you on what they mean (They are in Arabic language):
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim means 'In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful'
Assalamualaikum wbt is a prayer or greeting universally used by Muslims and it means 'May peace be unto you'
2. I am not sure if you can guess what I will talk about from the (hopefully) catchy title of this post but first and foremost, let me mention here that I will basically touch on the current local issues about religions and faith.
3. And this post is with regard to the inter-religious relationship and inter-religious interaction in Malaysia. By default, I am speaking as a Muslim and addressing this to especially all non-Muslims out there who deserve my due love and respect in the name of human obligation, so long as you don't fight me for my religion and you don't drive me out from my home just because I am a Muslim, which is precisely what Zionists are doing in Palestine right now.
4. Going back to the subject, 'major dilemma' refers to a difficult situation or problem where one has to make a choice and it is major because it is important and huge. Referring to Malaysia, the majority is the Malay people, who are almost always regarded as Muslims as well, though there are also Chinese Muslims, Indian Muslims, Ibanese Muslims and the list goes on.
Chicken first? Egg first? What a dilemma..
5. Taking them together as a phrase, the title above suggests that we Muslims especially the Malays who constitute the largest percentage of Malaysian population are continuously facing the question to balance between being tolerant to people of other religions and could it be to an extent that we compromise Islam as the sole truth (haq).
6. The paradox is obvious. Don't you think that history has narrated many stories of how minority (opposite of majority) groups have been severely oppressed and denied from their rights? Let me tell you now that the trend is somewhat shifting.
7. The majority are now being oppressed and denied rights despite the fact that they are the majority!
8. Let me get right straight to the point. Today and recently, there have been some noises on the ground about how Muslims are being intolerant towards non-Muslims just because they are following the true teaching of Islam.
9. The first, quite some time ago during Thaipusam festival, is a question on why Muslims shouldn't be allowed to join rituals of other religion in their places of worship.
10. Certain groups of people (some were not even Hindus) saw this as a disrespect towards the Hindus because they asserted that Muslims should appreciate unity and harmony more.
11. The first thing that came to my mind is simple: Is unity only limited to attending places of worship? Since when did any religion make it a compulsory requirement for its believers to perform their rituals by having others from different religions present at the same place? I mean, a must?
12. Or let me put it this way. Why don't we respect each other by understanding their religions based on what they are taught in their religions or scriptures? I don't think that in the teaching of Hinduism, absence of Muslims or other non-Hindus during Thaipusam will affect the rituals in any way.
13. Which means, no one would lose anything (from the perspective of religion). But if Muslims are present during the rituals, the shortcoming is on the part of Muslims, because Islam prohibits that.
Note: Islam allows mixing with non-Muslims and treat them well as fellow mankind, but not to an extent that we join the rituals, because it is like compromising the identity of our God, how is this simple reasoning difficult to understand?
14. Or still, if it's hard for you to comprehend, let me take a different circumstance. In Islam, annually we have Eidul Adha, when we slaughter cows to eat and distribute. If you put yourselves now in the place of a Muslim, do you think it is appropriate for us to feel bad or hurt just because our Hindu friends are not coming to join us slaughtering cows?
Note: In Hinduism cows are sacred. They don't eat cows, let alone slaughter them.
15. As a Muslim I am well informed that in fact it is forbidden for a Muslim to do that, precisely because otherwise we will hurt the Hindus. We shouldn't make noises and claim that Hindus are arrogant and intolerant because they don't want to slaughter cows with us! Do you not get that?
16. And that's precisely my point. In the context of Malaysia, these groups of people who claim to be minority in a multiracial and multireligious country of Malaysia are either over-demanding or ignorant about the sensitivities of other religions such as Islam.
17. In that way, you can see how the minority now 'rules' over the majority when they want Muslims for instance, to compromise Islam just to entertain them, even though there's no such a requirement in their religions.
Who actually rules?
18. Next. Today, (I found out) another religious issue is on the news. There will be a seminar entitled 'Pemantapan Aqidah, Bahaya Liberalisme dan Pluralisme serta Ancaman Kristianisasi Terhadap Umat Islam. Apa Peranan Guru?' or 'Strengthening the Faith, the Dangers of Liberalism and Pluralism and the Threat of Christianity towards Muslims. What is the Role of Teachers?'
19. Well, it is considered as highly inflammatory and sensitive to the non-Muslims or Christians, especially because of the word 'threat'.
20. My question is, are we expecting Muslims to have a seminar on why other religions are also true? Or a seminar on why Islam is not a true religion? Err, it doesn't make any sense right?
21. It's like asking the priests or fathers or pastors in church to say that Christianity is false just so that they can take care of the sensitivities of the Muslims? Another huh there don't you think?
22. Take it this way. Muslims are taught not to compromise Islam, that's all. By saying a threat, I as a Muslim believe that it has something to do with our faith i.e we have to protect it and don't ever let it be contaminated with other different concept of God.
23. What to me appear to be sensitive is when non-Muslims assume that the word 'threat' there means that we should kill non-Muslims or eliminate them from this world. But that's not true.
24. The word used is not even 'Christians' but 'Christianity' instead, which explicitly refers to the faith and belief, not the people.
25. In other words, don't you think that by preventing Muslims to learn about what is not Islamic i.e other religions, it will absolutely hurt the feelings of the Muslims?
26. Or is it ok to do that because the Muslims are majority? Now, the minority rules?
27. What do you feel if we Muslims prevent you from preaching your religions to your people? Which is not the case, because Malaysia, which is arguably an Islamic country follows what is taught in Islam i.e to allow non-Muslims to freely practice their faith! But does that mean Muslims now can't practice their faith? What a terrible double standard and discrimination don't you think?
28. All in all, I am not here to suggest that I am against non-Muslims. I hope and long for maturity and understanding. We should not fall prey to any extremists from any religion. About the seminar, I will only be against it if it involves some authoritative instruction from the government that non-Muslim teachers have to attend it.
29. Otherwise, the subject of the seminar is not at all inappropriate to Muslim audience, who live to practice their religion and have rights to know about other religions, which definitely not the same with Islam.
30. I also would like to kindly invite all of you non-Muslim brothers and sisters in case you are reading this, to be not only rational and not over-sensitive in making your judgment, but also to be thankful for you will not find any other great religion throughout the history that can rule a place where people of other religions can peacefully live together with them-except Islam.
31. If you are really sincere at what you are doing, you either come into Islam, or at least understand Islam. Do not fight us if we don't fight you for no reasons. We have our obligations to fulfill as a Muslim, and being good to non-Muslims is one of them, with certain conditions (some are mentioned below).
"Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes- from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly."
-The Quran (60:8)
32. I really hope that I manage to get the message across though I somehow feel that my explanation here is either too long and complicated, or too short and simplistic. However my intention is simple and pure;
33. that I want to live in a peaceful world, that everyone from different religions can live together WITHOUT A NEED TO COMPROMISE THEIR OWN RELIGION. But at the same time, I must say that it is a responsibility to invite others to my religion of Islam, without any form of compulsion, but by presentation of proof and truth instead.
34. Otherwise, if this hideous over-sensitive culture persists, then it won't be a surprise if one day Muslims are questioned why they perform prayer without inviting the non-Muslims to join them make prayers in masjid (and therefore Muslims promote discrimination).
35. But such a question is like asking why can't I feed my mouth with food when I close my lips tight?
36. Which is why the answer to the previous question is more than just short and simple: Be a Muslim first! ;-)
1. Kita sering kali mendengar orang menyebut bahawa semua agama mengajak kepada kebaikan.
2. Ungkapan sebegini walaupun tampak harmoni, logik dan senang diterima akal hakikatnya adalah agak mengelirukan dan boleh juga mendatangkan fitnah tanpa kita sedar.
3. Adakah benar semua agama mengajar atau mengajak kepada kebaikan? Maka kalau begitu bukankah semua agama adalah sama? Kalau sama, kenapa perlu berpegang kepada satu agama sahaja?
4. Jika ditanya soalan begini (yakni adakah semua agama sama), jawapan saya ialah ya dan tidak.
Kenapa jawapannya ya
5. Kerana semua agama mengajak kita berbuat baik sesama manusia, sesama ibu bapa dan orang tua, jangan mencuri, saling menghormati, saling membantu dan pelbagai lagi.
6. Dari sudut ini, maka ada persamaan antara apa yang dituntut dalam setiap agama. Namun tegasnya, ada persamaan tak semestinya agama itu sama! Contohnya, manusia ada kepala, dan paip pun ada kepala (kepala paip), tapi manusia dan paip tak sama (walaupun ada persamaan)!
Kenapa jawapannya tidak
7. Perkara pokok atau asas utama satu-satu agama ialah konsep ketuhanannya. Inilah yang membezakan Islam secara total daripada mana-mana agama yang lain.
8. Maka, dengan konsep ketuhanan yang tak sama, mustahil untuk menyatakan bahawa Islam dan agama lain sama, padahal bukan sahaja tak sama malah bertentangan sama sekali.
9. Justeru, cara melakukan ibadah juga sekaligus berbeza apatah lagi Tuhan yang disembah itu tak lagi sama!
10. Secara mudahnya, bila kita ingin menyatakan bahawa semua agama mengajak kepada kebaikan, penyataan sebegini perlu dijelaskan dengan lebih lanjut.
11. Yakni, dari aspek apa kebaikan yang dirujuk itu? Jika dari beberapa aspek kemanusiaan, maka benarlah. Namun dalam Islam, elemen syirik, satu unsur yang ada dalam agama yang lain bukanlah satu kebaikan!
12. Bahkan syirik (menyekutukan Allah SWT) merupakan keburukan yang paling keji, dosa yang paling kronik dan kritikal. Dengan kata lain, jika dilihat daripada aspek ini, kita tak lagi boleh menyatakan bahawa semua agama mengajak kepada kebaikan.
Gambar hiasan: Indahnya ciptaan Allah SWT
13. Dalam Surah Al-Kahfi contohnya, Allah mengeji orang yang menyatakan bahawa Dia mengambil seorang anak. Terjemahan ayat ke-5 surah tersebut berbunyi:
"...... Alangkah jeleknya kata-kata yang keluar dari mulut mereka; mereka hanya mengatakan (sesuatu) kebohongan belaka."
14. Jelas, agama lain yang mengajak mensyirikkan Allah SWT realitinya tak membawa kepada kebaikan. Bukan niat saya menyuruh membenci penganut agama lain, tetapi ingin mengajak kita untuk membenci dengan sebenar-benar benci akan perbuatan mensyirikkan Allah SWT, maka harap difahami konteksnya yang sebenar.
15. Dan tidaklah saya kata hanya agama lain sahaja mengajak kepada syirik. Malah kadang-kadang rutin harian dan budaya kita pun ada unsur syirik yang mesti dielakkan.
16. Contohnya, sebahagian orang Melayu yang masih percaya pada bomoh ataupun pemikiran bahawa ubat itu penyembuh penyakit.
17. Memang betul dengan makan ubat kita boleh sembuh, tapi ubat adalah sekadar ikhtiar kita kepada Allah SWT, dan Allah jadikannya sebab untuk sembuh, tetapi harus difahami bahawa yang menyembuhkan ialah Allah SWT.
18. Saya ingin menutup coretan kali ini dengan menghurai lebih lanjut tentang bahaya syirik. Sebagai permulaan, Syeikh Ibnu Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah dalam kitab Talbis Iblis (perangkap Iblis) menerangkan peringkat-peringkat dan tingkatan dosa. Huraian lanjut tentangnya saya nukilkan di artikel pada bulan lepas bertajuk Agak-agak bila kita boleh couple?
19. Ringkasnya, daripada lebih kurang 7 peringkat, dosa besar seperti berzina berada di peringkat ketiga tertinggi. Apa 2 lagi yang lebih besar?
20. Mengungguli tempat kedua ialah bid'aah yang sesat dan 'johan' kepada segala bentuk dosa ialah tidak lain dan tak bukan, mensyirikkan Allah atau kufur!
21. Disusun mengikut peringkat-peringkat ini kerana ada tujuan tertentu sebenarnya. Antara lain yang saya faham adalah kerana syaitan dan iblis ini cukup licik. Akan dibisikkan di telinga anak Adam untuk lakukan dosa-dosa kecil dahulu, kemudian terus naik dari satu peringkat ke peringkat yang lebih tinggi sehinggalah kepada tahap syirik na'uzubillahiminzalik!
22. Dalam Al-Quran, disebut bahawa Allah SWT mengampunkan semua dosa. Dalam Surah Az-Zumar ayat 53 terjemahannya:
"....Sesungguhnya Allah mengampuni dosa-dosa semuanya."
23. Namun dalam Surah An-Nisa', ayat 48 disebut tentang satu pengecualian yakni:
"Sesungguhnya Allah tidak akan mengampuni (dosa) kerana mempersekutukan-Nya (yakni syirik), dan mengampuni apa (dosa) yang selain (syirik) itu bagi siapa yang Dia kehendaki. Barang siapa mempersekutukan Allah, maka sungguh, dia telah berbuat dosa yang besar."
24. Maka berhati-hatilah kita dengan amalan, pemikiran serta setiap perkataan yang kita keluarkan dari mulut kita.
25. Dalam pada kita menghormati penganut agama lain dengan prinsip kebebasan beragama yang dianjurkan oleh Islam, kita mestilah berwaspada dengan semua bentuk kompromi agama, dan hendaklah juga bertegas dalam isu murtad.
26. Moga Allah SWT kekalkan kita semua dalam hidayah-Nya sehinggalah kita mati dalam keadaan seorang Muslim yang benar-benar beriman kepada-Nya. Ameen ameen ameen.
27. Mengakhiri artikel ini, mohon izin saya simpulkan sekali lagi bahawa syirik itu adalah keburukan yang terbesar maka tidaklah layak bagi agama lain dianggap mengajar kepada kebaikan, pun begitu, kita tak mempunyai masalah untuk menerima bahawa ada unsur kebaikan yang diajar dalam agama-agama lain kepada penganutnya. Yang penting sekarang, dalam kita berbicara, fahamilah konteksnya!
Wallahuaklam, wassalamualaikum wbt ;-)
P/S: Alhamdulillah, dengan izin Allah SWT, karya kerdil saya ini telah dimanfaatkan untuk bacaan umum di salah satu laman web Islamik tersohor di Malaysia yakni ILuvIslam.com. Anda boleh melihatnya di sini. Alhamdulillah.. Moga menjadi sumber pendapatan akhirat kelak ameen... =)
Perhatian: Saya telah menulis artikel ini pada bulan Mac tahun lepas, 2012. Memandangkan ramai juga yang berkunjung ke blog saya dan membaca artikel ini, sekali lagi saya mohon memberi beberapa penjelasan. 1. Saya tak berniat memburukkan mana-mana individu dalam artikel ini. Sebab itu tak ada nama yang disebut atau yang saya kaitkan dengan Wahabi. 2. Jika anda tak bersetuju dengan ciri-ciri Wahabi di bawah, maka anggaplah ia bukan ciri-ciri Wahabi tetapi elakkanlah akhlak yang buruk itu tanpa perlu meletakkan nama atau label padanya. 3. Saya mohon maaf jika mengguriskan hati mana-mana pihak dan doa saya adalah kita saling mendoakan dan berakhlak mulia dalam berbeza pendapat. -Ibnu Hanaffi, 6 Februari 2013, 9.15pm
1. Sudah lama saya mencari jawapan yang pasti kepada persoalan tentang apa dan siapakah Wahhabi serta kenapa mereka cukup dibenci dan hangat diperkatakan di tanah air negara kita Malaysia tercinta (serta seluruh dunia sebenarnya).
2. Sebagai orang awam yang bukan dari latar belakang pendidikan yang aliran utamanya ialah agama (tetapi aliran Sains tulen), telah sekian lama saya berpegang kepada dua prinsip berikut dalam mendepani hal berkaitan Wahhabi.
a) Sentiasa berdoa kepada Allah SWT agar menjaga dan memelihara diri ini daripada pengaruh fahaman agama yang lari daripada pegangan sebenar Ahli Sunnah wal Jamaah. Malah saya percaya, ayat 6 dalam Surah Al-Fatihah yang kita baca 17 kali dalam 17 rakaat setiap hari adalah doa yang cukup baik untuk minta agar kekal dalam hidayah yang benar lagi sahih.
b) Saya cuba mengelak semampu yang mungkin daripada mudah menggelar atau mengisytihar bahawa si polan bin si polan ialah Wahhabi, apatah lagi mengkafirkan mereka. Saya zahirkan prinsip yang saya pegang ini dalam satu artikel Bahasa Inggeris yang dikarang satu masa dulu bertajuk Adabi Vs Wahabi.
Laman dakwah fb saya pun berinspirasikan ayat 6 Surah Al-Fatihah. Silalah singgah ke IH.DE.NA ;-)
3. Namun dengan izin serta kasih-Nya Allah SWT, saya dilahirkan dalam sebuah keluarga yang walaupun sederhana pada harta dan ilmu agama tapi ibu bapa saya adalah orang kampung yang amat menekankan soal agama dalam kehidupan (moga Allah SWT menghadiahkan mereka syurga Firdaus dan menjadikan saya salah seorang anak soleh yang sentiasa mendoakan mereka ameen).
4. Sekurang-kurangnya saya dibesarkan dalam suasana yang relatifnya masih kaya dengan nilai keagamaan serta ketimuran, lebih-lebih lagi di negeri Terengganu. Alhamdulillah, Maha Suci Allah yang Maha Mencipta.
5. Berbalik kepada topik asal, yakni Wahhabi, saya bukanlah orang yang paling layak dan ini bukanlah medium yang paling baik untuk berhujah secara ilmiah mengenainya.
6. Namun untuk manfaat semua terutamanya orang awam seperti saya yang mahu turut bersama dengan agamawan dan golongan yang mencintai agama, izinkanlah saya untuk mendedahkan sedikit sebanyak ciri-ciri aliran fahaman Wahhabi ini, buat sedikit panduan dan rujukan awal kita.
7. Adapun perbincangan lanjut serta lebih mendalam bukanlah di sini tempatnya, dan bukanlah saya orang yang layak ditanya mengenainya.
8. Perbincangan tentang asal-usul serta sejarah Wahhabi terlalu panjang dan tak relevan buat masa ini, maka yang akan saya 'dedahkan' hanyalah lebih kepada ciri-ciri mereka serta apa implikasi kehadiran mereka dalam masyarakat Islam kontemporari.
Ciri-ciri dan amalan golongan Wahhabi
9. Baik, berdasarkan satu penerangan oleh Ustaz Abu Syafiq di sini, secara mudahnya golongan Wahhabi ini boleh difahami dengan 3T, yang beliau sifatkan sebagai 'Trinity'.
10. T yang pertama ialah Takfiri. Maknanya ialah, golongan Wahhabi ini cukup suka mengkafirkan orang Islam yang lain. Lebih tepat lagi, mengkafirkan ulamak-ulamak besar Islam yang terkemuka dan mulia!
11. Dalam pada kita mengakui kewujudan dan kelemahan seorang manusia walaupun mereka seorang ulamak besar, namun tidaklah bererti kita boleh mencerca mereka, apatah lagi menghukum kafir terhadap mereka.
12. Jika mereka kafir, maka apa akan jadi pada kita orang awam yang merujuk ulamak-ulamak besar ini? Malah, jika ulamak pun sanggup dikafirkan, apatah lagi kita orang awam yang lekeh lagi faqir dalam agama. Moga Allah SWT lindungi kita semua ameen.
13. T yang kedua ialah Tashbihi. Maknanya, mereka menyamakan Allah SWT dengan makhluk. Dikatakan bahawa Allah SWT mempunyai anggota seperti kaki dan tangan dan lain-lain. Na'uzubillah, Maha Suci Allah daripada hal yang demikian, sama-samalah kita elakkan.
14. T yang terakhir ialah Tabdi'i. Maknanya, mereka membid'ahkan banyak amalan dalam masyarakat sehingga kepada tahap menghukumkannya haram, maka mereka jatuhkan pula hukuman tehadap pelakunya api neraka.
15. Demikianlah sedikit sebanyak tentang Wahhabi yang bukan sahaja penting untuk kita tahu supaya dapat mengenali siapa mereka, malah lebih penting lagi adalah supaya kita tak menjadi sebahagian daripada mereka!
16. Sekadar tambahan, golongan Wahhabi juga sangat suka membincangkan hal-hal (furu') atau cabang dalam agama yang mempunyai khilaf atau perbezaan pendapat dalam kalangan ulamak. Mereka juga suka berbincang tentang ayat-ayat mutasyabihat di dalam Al-Quran. Ayat mutasyabihat merujuk kepada ayat yang tidak jelas maksudnya. Lawannya ialah ayat Muhkamat yakni ayat yang jelas dan terang maksudnya.
17. Golongan ini juga menyatakan bahawa kita umat Islam perlu merujuk terus (directly) kepada Quran dan Sunnah, bukannya taksub kepada mana-mana imam mazhab atau merujuk kepada imam-imam ini. Maka, mereka mempunyai masalah dengan kehidupan bermazhab yang diamalkan oleh orang kebanyakan dalam masyarakat negara kita contohnya.
18. Penyataan sebegini walaupun nampak seperti benar (yakni memang Quran dan sunnah yang kita rujuk, bukannya alim ulama yang sekadar manusia biasa), namun terdapat kebatilan yang besar padanya.
19. Yakni, persoalannya ialah, bagaimana kita ingin memahami Al-Quran dan sunnah tanpa merujuk kepada 'alim ulamak padahal merekalah yang lebih memahami Al-Quran dan sunnah? Yang lucunya, golongan Wahhabi sendiri pun mempunyai 'ulamak mereka sendiri, maka mereka pun sebenarnya bukanlah terus merujuk kepada Quran dan sunnah!
20. Dengan kata lain, kita perlu merujuk kepada yang lebih tahu, bukannya taksub, tetapi mengakui kepakaran mereka dalam bidang agama serta kelebihan yang Allah SWT telah berikan kepada mereka alhamdulillah.
21. Suka saya sebut satu contoh yang dikisahkan oleh Al-Fadhil Ustaz Azhar Idrus dalam satu ceramahnya bahawa berlaku satu peristiwa di negara Arab, Mekah tak silap saya.
22. Jemaah Malaysia diterajang ketika membaca doa qunut dalam Solat Subuh kerana yang menerajang itu baginya membaca doa qunut itu bid'aah dan haram! Na'uzubillah, moga kita dijauhi daripada sifat ekstrem agama seperti ini.
23. Padahal persoalan seperti membaca doa qunut ini adalah persoalan khilaf ulamak dan telah pun sebenarnya diselesaikan beberapa ratus tahun yang sudah.
24. Yakni, pada Imam Syafi'i RH, sunat membaca doa qunut. Maka jika kita tak baca, solat masih sah. Tidak perlulah mengkafirkan atau menghukum salah terhadap orang yang berlainan pendapat (mengikut mazhabnya) dalam hal-hal cabang, bukannya hal pokok.
25. Kita harus faham, bahawa semua imam yang 4 setuju bahawa solat fardhu itu 5 waktu semuanya. Ini adalah contoh persoalan pokok, dan ia mempunyai dalil serta nas yang jelas daripada Al-Quran dan hadis, maka sebab itu tidak timbul lagi perbahasan mengenainya.
26. Adapun dalam hal cabang, masing-masing ada hujah mereka dalam memberikan hukum, seperti dalam hal feqah. Maka kita sebagai orang awam mestilah faham dan meraikan perbezaan pendapat, kerana mereka yang 'alim inipun meraikan perbezaan pendapat sesama sendiri, apatah lagi sepatutnya kita!
Implikasi kepada masyarakat
27. Kesan buruk yang terbesar ialah perpecahan dalam masyarakat. Orang kafir cukup suka melihat kita berbalah. Maka marilah sama-sama kita hentikan. Jauhilah taksub pada mana-mana imam atau pandangan tetapi dalam masa yang sama jangan ambil mudah soal pegangan agama yang benar.
28. Sesungguhnya amatlah perlu bagi orang awam seperti kita hidup bermazhab agar kita yang lemah dan cetek ilmu ini dipandu dengan panduan yang benar. Insya Allah, mudah-mudahan begitulah keadaannya.
29. Sebagai penutup, ingin saya kongsikan satu doa yang cukup baik untuk kita hafal, fahami dan amalkan. Doa ini untuk meminta daripada Allah SWT agar kita kekal dalam hidayah, sebagaimana yang diajar oleh Nabi Muhammad SAW yang tercinta. (Kredit: Akhi Ikhwan Ahmad Zaki)
30. Demikianlah sedikit sebanyak yang dapat saya kongsikan pada kali ini. Mudah-mudahan bermanfaat, dan maafkan saya jika ada kesilapan di mana-mana. Saya alu-alukan sebarang pembetulan, harapnya dengan penuh beradab dan sopan.
1. If you understand neither broken English nor the above image caption, let me explain.
2. In Malay language, it is translated as "Apa pandang-pandang?" Or maybe in proper English it is an expression of "So what are you looking at? (Have any problems?)"
3. This entry will be a bit personal and sentimental to me, hence why I put it under personal category (label) on my blog.
4. But before I begin with the main story, let me ease you towards the next part of this entry by firstly introducing you to the DEFINITION of this post i.e Doctoring the Black Sheep.
5. I'll break it down for you in the shortest manner I could insya Allah.
6. Quite basically the word 'doctor', though almost always understood as a medical profession, is also actually a verb which, according to thefreedictionary.com means 'to alter or modify for a specific end.' Well, basically in layman's term, it means to change something to something else, by appearance, quality etc etc.
7. Hence the gerund that you have there i.e adding -ing to a verb. So such verb like 'doctor' can now appear in another form i.e. doctoring.
The first part (of definition) is done. Alhamdulillah.
8. Secondly, black sheep may be a relatively more familiar phrase to you as it simply means (and it's an English idiom) 'a person who is regarded as a disgrace or failure by his family or peer group.'
9. Now, I think we are good to go. Before that though, yes you are spot on, I am that 'black sheep' in this story that I want to talk about.
10. And interestingly enough, as we people are sometimes *racists, we tend to categorize people based on their colors (and surprisingly only 2 colors most of the time) which are either black or white.
*I don't really mean the extreme type of racism, I hope I express it in a more subtle way. ;-)
11. So I'm basically black by skin color. Though I always prefer to describe myself like Tiramisu, because it is both brown and sweet. Oh did I just say that I am brown and sweet? *blushing* And is Tiramisu sweet by the way? hmm..
Tiramisu! Nyum nyum...
12. Or at least I can claim that I have some Chinese blood? And yes I think I am serious. Therefore, I am not that black! Or perhaps at least I have small eyes. Still, I am a Chinese-Malay mix, though to be fair with you possibly only 1:9 by ratio ;-)
13. Again, as a 'black' sheep character in this story, I hope the additional explanation above makes more sense to you.
14. Let's get started!
15. Well, to be frank with you, I am still uncertain on where to start. But assuming that you have plenty of time (if not, just pretend that you actually have please please.... *pleading mood*) so I shall recommend that you also read another article of mine related to this one on my personal story here. But you can always read that one later.
16. A wonderful friend (brother) of mine mentioned once that, things are already written on the wall. Let me cut it short for you. After I scored in my SPM with flying colors, I always aimed to do medicine and to do it in UK.
17. When I received an offer by JPA to do a preparatory studies to go to Australia instead, it was sort of disturbing to me at first, which alhamdulillah didn't take long because my family and I eventually settled down and thought that it must not be a bad idea. What mattered to us was really that I do medicine. Full stop.
18. It was Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT) and it was at the International Education Center (INTEC) of UiTM Shah Alam when the ocean now started to splash its waves on my boat of life.
19. For about 1 year and a half, I struggled really hard, obviously not common with what it used to be when I was in MCKK. Little did I know, those past years in MCKK was only a stream of water. After SPM, I supposedly have reached an ocean.
20. And many didn't know, it was also during this period that a number of unforgettable things took place, and breaking up being one of them (I told you, this is a personal story but don't get me wrong, this story is merely a retrospection, I may not be who I used to be- so thank you for not being over-judgmental).
21. Warning: Let me not further comment on that love story. But what I can guarantee you is this one thing. If you know how and what it feels to fall in love and then break, you surely won't allow yourselves to be loved by someone of opposite gender unless and until you both are ready for marriage.
22. In other words, it is this wonderful experience that makes me strong enough (alhamdulillah) to keep myself single but unavailable until insya Allah one day when I am ready to meet and speak to the father of my dream princess. Love you my dear ;-)
Note: By Mercy of Allah SWT, that wonderful girl and I never met during that period of relationship (We only met once and fell in love hehe). So, alhamdulillah, I believe it is Allah's plan, to give me the feeling, but not to an extent of experiencing it- I mean, experience like going out for a date etc..)
Who knows that the other half of ours (our spouse) may have met us in a shopping complex when we were still young hehe. Ok, this is a joke (or a superstition). Don't trust me on this =p
No more humor. Here's the serious part
23. Now let me continue to the main part of the story.
24. I am currently in Kolej Damansara Utama (KDU), taking Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) and insya Allah will complete the few remaining papers of it plus *ACCA in UiTM Shah Alam- well at least that's the plan for now.
*ACCA is acronym for Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
25. As some people may not know, I therefore have to rewind and recall for you. From February 2010 until around August 2011, I was actually a medical student in the International Medical University, Bukit Jalil.
26. So basically you are reading a story about a guy who did medicine (MBBS) halfway and changed his mind (and course of studies) not to something related to Science, but Maths and finance instead i.e accounting.
27. There are few important reasons behind this crucial decision I have to make in my life.
28. To begin with, let me firstly quote Mark Twain who once said that, "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do.. than the ones you did do.."
29. It was not easy. And I didn't make this decision overnight. I think I have done enough consultation and deep thoughts, which may never be perfect, but good enough to reach a threshold level that pushed me to enter into a point in life where there is no more turning back. And here I am now as an accounting student.
30. You see, I was a naive guy and may still be. IMU (where I studied medicine) was a wonderful place with many wonderful people. In fact, many great doctors may have been produced here- this, I would not deny.
31. But life is life. My mom once reminded me that everybody is not the same. There are always bad apples in any community.
32. I do not prefer to say that I was sabotaged. In fact I would sincerely admit that I was where I am now due to my own weakness and mistake, partly. But I am no more surprised if there is a good proof presentable to us that there has been some evil hands involved in the withdrawal of more and more Malay students from this university, year in year out.
33. I would prefer to describe it as a form of racial preference (if not discrimination) at the very least, though (of course) this may not be in all cases.
34. My hope and prayer is only one- as Islam has taught me about patience and justice, I will pray hard to stay cool and calm plus with full confidence and belief in Him, that one day if it really is the case in IMU, it will be disclosed and made known to the public, so that justice can be upheld. Ameen ameen ameen..
IMU Muslim Society (MSOC) committee members 2010/11- Many of you may not know how much our friendship means to me ;-)
35. I won't stop here though. It is important therefore (as I have made the above an open secret) that I share with everyone how and what I feel towards the Chinese community here in Malaysia.
36. First and foremost, Chinese ladies are beautiful and cute. Right, that's off topic. I apologize.
37. Sins are not inherited by blood or from whom you are born. The general rule is that, when someone sins, then he is not so because of his race or age or gender but simply because of what he or she does.
38. Chinese people are great people, adorable in attitude and very passionate in things they do- especially in search of wealth and money.
39. After all that happened, my heart has grown fonder for the Chinese people. Looking things from the bright side, I would put the blame on both the Malay racists and Chinese racists who have never failed to throw fire at each other. You see, at the end of the day, innocent people are hurt and may be unintentionally sacrificed.
40. If not for Islam, I may be the most racist Malay I could be- which is the reason why I am firmly convinced that the real solution to racism is Islam (oh please read the story of Malcolm X).
41. What I mean is simple, it is my belief that the trouble inflicting upon the whole humanity in this world these days is simply the absence of Islam in many of us, Muslims or what more in non-Muslims.
42. So when I say that I love them more, it is from my sincere intention and hope that we should present Islam to them.
43. There has been arguments here and there that we should focus on the Malays first but I with due respect always see some defects in this kind of thinking.
44. My take is simple. The love we have for the Malays should never prevent us from loving the Chinese people. When we are talking about unity, I see more practicality in the unity of Muslims rather than the unity of ALL Malays. Just swallow the facts that not all Malays can be trusted and likewise in any other races.
45. So long as we let people see Islam as a means to unite the Malays, the non-Malays will feel either intimidated or angered by Islam and will always stay away from Islam and then as an after effect, they will continue hating the Malays too, because Malays and Islam are inseparable now.
46. If Malays were to unite, Islam must be represented as something universal, that it accepts all people regardless of race, and when Islam is well understood, insya Allah not only Malays will be united, but they will also be looked up upon- at least this is my theory (please, you may disagree if you will).
47. Alright enough there, I promised to speak of my personal story instead, not my personal thought.
48. I haven't told you guys about the reasons why I made this decision to do accounting.
49. Well, for one, I think my sifu is right, that considering all that took place within the past 4 years, everything seems to be written on the wall. I see it as a 'sign' from Allah SWT the Most High, that it is possible that maybe I am not meant to become a doctor.
50. But that is not the only reason though and I don't think I will vomit out everything here. What I can say is that I have many reasons which I have carefully taken into account, and it is all of these reasons, taken together, that makes me stick to this decision until now. After all, like I said, once the shot is called, there's basically no turning back.
51. Not to forget, I have studied medicine for 1 year and a half, so I don't think it's worth it to start over and risk another 5 years or more only to end up in a tough workplace with a low pay- and I think I am speaking of reality in Malaysia now.
52. And please don't get me wrong. Our circumstances are absolutely different. Those pursuing medicine now, I am not here to demotivate or annoy you. Remember, doctor is a wonderful and noble job, but that never denies the fact that other profession, whatever it is (so long it's halal) is noble and acknowledged in Islam too.
53. Lastly, (there are lots more but not to mention here) I think financial constraint is the one single biggest factor of my withdrawal from this pursuit of a medical profession.
54. You see, I have come up with one principle in my life, that I want to become successful and success can be achieved in many ways, if not as a doctor, then maybe as an accountant.
55. There's nothing that remains specific in our life, as the plans and dreams can always change, because as far as I can think of, the only one specific aim that will never change is Paradise, as the only other option than that is Hellfire, na'uzubillah.
56. In other words, what I am saying is that, sometimes we push too hard in our life, though actually it is good to take a few steps backward and change the course of actions, to reach a new aim, with a new spirit, with a new hope.
57. As a saying nicely goes, we can not change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust the sail to change the direction of our boat or ship- it means that we should focus on adjusting something that is within our circle of influence, not beyond that.
58. Also, there's a good saying by Albert Einstein who said something beautiful about being a genius. It is represented as a poster below. [Source]
The final part
58. So where's the black sheep? hehe..
59. Yes indeed. The toughest and most disappointing part to me is when I think of my parents. I believe that I am most guilty to them, more than I think I am guilty to myself or anyone else on earth.
60. For some time, I kept thinking if I was the black sheep in the family. But funny enough, talking about sheep always reminds me of the story of Abraham and his son, Ismael. I believe you already know what the story is all about.
61. Yes it's about a true sacrifice. I am no way comparable to these both great Prophets and Messengers of Allah SWT (may peace be upon both of them). And I am in no way comparing Prophet Ismael AS to a sheep.
62. Instead, I am referring to a story of a huge sacrifice where Allah SWT by His great Mercy has replaced Prophet Ismael AS with a sheep when his father Abraham was instructed to slaughter him- which he (ismael AS) accepted for the great taqwa he has for Allah SWT.
63. The way I relate it to my own story is this- I pray to Allah SWT that despite whatever difficulties, disappointment or even shame that my most beloved parents may have to face and endure, I really hope that in return, Allah SWT will reward them Paradise ameen ameen ameen.
64. And on top of that, I hope I have made the right decision, and Allah knows when the time comes, that He allows me to achieve the dream of success I aspire, which hopefully by that time will heal the cut I have made in their hearts. Dear friends and readers, please make sincerest prayers for me. Jazakumullahu khair khairan jaza'.
65. As a complementary to this entry, I have actually composed a poem (in Malay language), recorded it and uploaded it on You Tube. I have alreadly posted about this recently, but as I believe some of you may have not come across it yet, so here it is (below). After all, it is dedicated to myself and my most beloved family.
Note: The title of this poem is 'Pelangi Tak Berwarna' which in English is something like 'The Colorless Rainbow.'
66. In addition to that, let me quote a very short English poem I composed some time ago, that I have posted on my Facebook wall.
"Sometimes you are blessed with rain,
Some other times, you are tested with pain,
But don't you have a brain?
That you can decide to either complain,
Or thank Him again and again?"
-Kuala Terengganu, February 2nd, 2012
67. Now that I reach the final part of this entry, let me therefore reexplain the phrase 'Doctoring the Black Sheep' which I use as the title of this story.
68. I regretted a lot that I have to go through this phase of life. And my regret is because I think I am fully responsible for it. For that, it is fair enough to see myself as a person who has troubled the family a lot for quite some time.
69. And this is the reason why everything has to be doctored. We as Muslims are taught to believe in the predestination of Allah SWT (Qada' and Qadr).
70. And it should be understood with an acknowledgement that Allah SWT knows best. He is the best Planner and He is All Wise.
71. For that, there is no point at all to keep complaining and whining, but to get back on the feet, stronger in spirit, older in experience, and better equipped in knowledge insya Allah.
72. After all, life is like a cycle or a wheel. I always believe that what we do to our parents now, will be what we will have from our children in the future. And I call it the law of reciprocity.
68. Suffice it is to quote a hadith by our most beloved Nabi Muhammad SAW when he SAW says,
"The best of you is the one who is best to his own family, and I am the best of you towards my family."
(At-Tirmidzi)
69. And I have one personal thing to point out here. Many of us out there (especially students) are involved in this wonderful gathering or relationship called 'usrah'. And usrah, if I am not wrong is an Arabic word for family.
70. I have my own usrah too. However, as a reminder to myself and all of you in usrah, please bear this in mind. When we are very committed and excited with our usrah, always remember that at the end of the day, the one that stays and the one that is most important to us is the real usrah- our own family.
71. They are definitely our first and main priority. Never ever abandon them. Let us not be known among our usrah members, but let us be the most famous and the most kind to our own family, whose relationship with us is by blood. Remember that. And please go check in Surah At-Tahrim, verse number 6, it has some profound messages in it, that is worth of our attention.
Doctor + ring= let's marry a doctor =p
72. I never felt that it was a total waste to study medicine. I believe it has some uses later in the future. But let me touch on one more thing from the title of this entry. You can find the word 'ring' (hence the photo above) from the word doctoring. And basically it is a combination of doctor and ring.
73. If I were to 'naughtily' relate it to my personal story as well, I would put it this way.
74. Yes, it is lovely to have a doctor in a family. But chances are, I may not become one. So the only option now is to marry a doctor! haha that means I also have to collect money to buy a marriage ring huh? But still, family first ;-)
75. On top of everything, I am basically in the second week of my CAT by this Tuesday. I have outlined a number of important things I want to achieve within 3-5 years from now, which I hope you can make prayers for me too.
76. Among all;
a) I want to save money to send my parents to do Hajj in Mecca ameen ameen ameen
b) I also want to save money to do umrah for myself insya Allah
c) I want to get married (and I am serious insya Allah) ;-)
d) I want to succeed in my studies i.e. CAT and ACCA and then secure a fantastic job
e) I want to own a car insya Allah
f) I want to settle whatever debts that I owe from whomever insya Allah and become debt-free
g) I want to learn Quran and tajwid in full depth and teach my family and people of my place insya Allah
77. Call it whatever you want, a wish list etc etc but I pray to Allah SWT that He will always remind me of all the above and most importantly give me the strength to be steadfast (istiqamah) in things I do to achieve all of them. Most importantly I hope Allah will rain His barakah and blessings upon me, my family and all people around me insya Allah.
78. I really thank you for your time reading this. Please drop your feedback if you will and I'd highly appreciate them all alhamdulillah. Let me end this by quoting my all-time favorite saying which reads as follows,
"When you were born, you were crying and people around you were smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you are smiling while people around you are crying!"
Thanks very much all and take care!
Wallahuaklam, wassalamualaikum wbt..
Won't let them paint me black anymore hehe..
P/S: I hope you understand full well that in the art of writing, it may also involve some elements of humor, simile and many more. Don't always take things literally. Allah SWT, with His great Mercy, has made us mankind, the best of creation alhamdulillah, so let's cherish that fact.
In other words, like they always say, sometimes we have to read between the lines, so please do ;-)
Credits:
1. My most beloved parents, Mr. Mohd Hanaffi bin Hassin and Mdm Noorma bte Mamat
2. My most respected brother Along, Mohd Ridzwan and sister Nurul Shuhada for especially their frequent financial aids
3. My other brothers and sisters who are still young and lovely and cute like me
4. My close relatives, Hamiza Mamat (Mokja) and husband, all from both sides of my grandparents, I love them all
5. My debate sifu, a motivator and a great helper, Mr Rafizi Ramli and wife for the endless support and Allah knows how much they have done for me, may Allah grant them and families Paradise
6. My teachers and friends whoever you are, if you read this, please remember that all of you, your presence does make a difference to my life
7. And everyone else I may not mention due to fallible and weak (dhaif and faqir) nature of the imperfect me.
My prayers is that you will all be in the pink of health and may Allah multiply every good deeds that you have done to me and people around you. Those who are patient and tolerant despite the fact that I may have missed their names above, may Allah grant them an additional reward for their patience and tolerance. And last but not the least;
8. All of you my silent followers or readers who have been praying for me even without me knowing. May Allah have Mercy on you and your family members and may He always guide us all to His only one straight path, Siratul Mustaqim ameen ameen ameen.
Bersama Ustaz Zamri. Maaf, saya masih mencari masa terluang untuk menulis tentang Konvensyen Fiqh Ummah yang kami hadiri baru-baru ini (hehe bunyi macam pergi sekali dengan Ustaz Zamri je, padahal ustaz pembentang kertas kerja hehe..)
1. Alhamdulillah. Ini merupakan nukilan yang pertama saya untuk bulan Mac yang baru masuk hari ke-2 hari ini.
2. Tak ada apa sangat melainkan nak kongsikan satu vlog yang saya hasilkan semalam untuk manfaat kita semua.
3. Namun, saya amat-amat dan teramat sangat peringkat super saiya ke-15 punya kesangatan ingin syorkan kepada anda semua supaya dapat muat turun (download) satu slideshow yang bukan milik saya tapi saya ambil daripada internet untuk dikongsi bersama.
4. Ia sangat-sangat bermanfaat walaupun cukup ringkas dan padat dalam memberi penjelasan tentang Surah Al-Kahfi. Saya tak nak cakap banyak (tak bercakap pun sebenarnya, tulis je =P) tapi saudara/ri boleh rujuk lebih lanjut di entry saya yang lepas tentangnya di sini.
5. Semoga video di bawah bermanfaat dan amat saya harapkan anda semua doakan kesejahteraan dan keselamatan saya serta keluarga tersayang. Ameen ameen ameen..
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
