[Muslimtainment Series] The Veil

Whoever says that Islam prohibits any form of entertainment whatsoever, is indeed very wrong.

Islam is a religion of fitrah, and it is of course a fitrah of human beings to want to be entertained & have fun. Well we have our limbic system, don't we? :D

Only that, Islam acts as guidance and a way of life, ergo it also provides several rules in having fun.

One of them being that it is not merely a blank form of entertainment, thus void of any benefit, especially of reminding us about the Creator Himself.

-selingan-

We at SKB very much believe that Islam allows controlled & beneficial entertainment. Like from what Sayyidatina A'isyah had reported, even Rasulullah himself permitted entertainment in the form of singing  in some occasions [Sahih Bukhari].

As the first installment of our new 'Muslimtainment Series', let us enjoy one example of a form of entertainment in Islam, that is not only soothing to the ears, but also insha-Allah be beneficial in terms of the lessons that may be taken from it.

THE VEIL - by Dawud Wharnsby Ali

They say, "Oh poor girl, you're so beautiful, you know

It's a shame that you cover up your beauty so."

She just smiles and graciously responds reassuringly,

"This beauty that I have is just one simple part of me.

This body that I have, no stranger has a right to see.

These long clothes, this shawl I wear ensure my modesty.

Faith is more essential than fashion, wouldn't you agree?

This hijab, this mark of piety

is an act of faith, a symbol for all the world to see."

A simple cloth to preserve her dignity

So lift the veil from your heart to see the heart of purity

They tell her, "Girl, don't you know this is the West and you are free?

You don't need to be oppressed, ashamed of your femininity."

She just shakes her head and she speaks so assuredly,

"See the billboards and the magazines that line the check-out isles,

with their phony painted faces and their air-brushed smiles?

Well their sheer clothes and low cut gowns, they are really not for me.

You call it freedom, I call it anarchy.

This hijab, this mark of piety

is an act of faith, a symbol for all the world to see."

A simple cloth to preserve her dignity

So lift the veil from your heart and see the heart of purity

Actually not only for muslimat, but also for muslimeen.

They say, "Sister of belief, you are so strong.
Your scarf is a flag of this faith where you belong."

She just drops her gaze and then speaks with humility,

"I did not wear this shawl at all less than one year ago.

I've been judged, misjudged and misunderstood

by those who do not know that

faith cannot be measured by the garments that we sew.

Beauty and faith: objects reduced to a fashion show.

This hijab, this mark of piety

is an act of faith, a symbol between my God and me."

A simple cloth to preserve her dignity

So lift the veil from your heart and see the heart of purity

Lift the veil from your heart and seek the heart of purity

So let's all cover our aurat, be it muslim or muslimah, and increase our iman & be as beautiful as ever! ;)

The Holy Quran & The Human Cerebrum (Tadabbur Surah Al-Alaq [96]: 15-16)

Now that we're in the CNS block, let's refresh a lil' bit about our amazing brains, and what God says about it ;)

Did you know, it is indeed very amazing how the surah of which the very first revelation to Rasulullah s.a.w. also mentions about the human cerebrum? :)

In surah Al-Alaq [96] ayat 15 & 16, it is described that the "front of the head" of Abu Jahal laknatullah is "lying & sinful". Why doesn't the Quran just mention that Abu Jahal himself is lying & sinful?

If you remember the anatomy of the brain inside the skull, near the front of the head is the PREFRONTAL AREA of the cerebrum.

This particular area functions in planning complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior.

In other words, it determines the abilities to differentiate among conflicting thoughts, determine good and bad, better and best, same and different, future consequences of current activities, working toward a defined goal, prediction of outcomes, expectation based on actions, and social control.

So yeah, when a person is lying or doing bad acts, it is actually also the prefrontal area that is mainly responsible.

Allahu akbar! :D

Ibrah from the Pacific Salmon's Amazing Journey

Undoubtedly one of the most amazing creatures on earth is the pacific salmon.

After spending years in the ocean, they return to the very specific place where they were born ie. thousands of miles upstream in the river. And what an amazing journey it indeed is.

They have small particles of iron in their brain which they used like a compass to navigate their way back to fresh water, and a superbly keen sense of smell that they use to detect the very stream of river they were hatched at.

And along the way, they had to face a lot of challenges.

Predators such as killer whales, sea lions, sharks, eagles, grizzly bears, and wolves,

periods of low water levels that make it difficult for them to swim & to breathe,

and having to battle powerful torrents & leap high waterfalls.

Yet finally, out of billions that tried, some manage to find their way back to their birthplace, only to lay eggs & reproduce.

And immediately after hatching, they will deteriorate and die at the very place where they first came to life.

But just think about it, just how much they sacrifice so that others may benefit.

1) The bears & so many other animals rely on the salmons to survive through the year.

2) And even when they die, they provide benefits to others. Their decaying bodies nourish the rivers, providing abundant food for their growing eggs.

3) Nitrogen, carbon & phosphorus that are obtained from their years of life in the ocean are released, providing nutrients for the forest to grow to such prodigious heights. Even to the level that around 80% of nitrogen in the coastal forests comes from the ocean, brought by the bodies of the salmons.

All those so that they may lay eggs that will continue their epic legacy.

* * * * * * * * *

Yeah, they truly are amazing. How could we observe & not take ibrah from them?

"The best of people are those that bring benefit to the rest of mankind." [HR Ahmad, Thabrani, Daraqutni]

"Most surely in the creation of the heavens & the earth and the alternation of the night & the day, there are signs for the ulul albab." [Ali Imran (3):190]

"Those who remember Allah, standing & sitting & lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens & the earth, (they say) Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee; save us then from the chastisement of the fire!" [Ali Imran (3):191]

Wallahu a'lam.

And Allah is the All-Knowing.

Kupasan Kuliah Kitab Fiqh Sirah Siri 1

BAB 1 ; PERANAN & PERLUNYA RIWAYAT HIDUP NABI MUHAMMAD SAW DALAM MEMAHAMI ISLAM

“Sesungguhnya pada (diri) Rasulullah saw itu menjadi contoh yang paling baik untuk (menjadi ikutan) kamu”

(Al-Ahzab 33 : 21)

 Tujuan dan keperluan atas seseorang Muslim itu untuk berusaha mempelajari, memahami & menghayati sirah Nabi saw;

1) Memahami peribadi Nabi saw menerusi penghidupan & suasana hidup Nabi saw, bukti bahawa Baginda saw bukan sekadar manusia pintar, tetapi merupakan pesuruh Allah swt

2) Supaya dapat meniru & mengikut suatu contoh yang unggul supaya dapat mengaplikasikannya dalam seluruh aspek kehidupan.

3) Membantu memahami dan mengecapi isi kandungan Al-Quran

4) Memberikan pemahaman dan satu gambaran yang lebih jelas bagi prinsip-prinsip asas dan hukum-hakam Islam

5) Membolehkan para penyeru & pendidik menjadikan Nabi saw sebagai ‘role-model’, mengamalkan dan menyampaikan sunnah-sunnah Baginda saw yang agung.

“Tujuan mengkaji riwayat hidup Nabi saw dan penganalisaannnya bukanlah semata-mata untuk melihat kejadian-kejadian dan episod-episod yang bersejarah ataupun memaparkan cerita-cerita indah sahaja..”

(Sh. Sa’id Ramadan al-Buti)

Istimewa daripada Rakan Masjid USM Kampus Kesihatan

(Sumber : Rakan Masjid USMKK)

a) Majlis Ta'alim by Dr Mujahid Bakar

Ahad : 22/9 : Di Masjid Murni : 745 Malam


b) Konflik Syria Mesir : Masihkah Ada Hari Esok ?

Selasa : 24/9 : PUMA


c) Halaqah Ilmu : Cinta Ku & Dia by Ustaz Cinta

Rabu : 25/9 : Selepas Maghrib : Masjid USMKK


d) Iftar Jamaie : Makan Talam Yo !

Khamis : 26/9 : Selepas Maghrib : Masjid USMKK

# LH 3 : I look I see

(Credits ; Nur Atiqah Arshad)

“What has he found who has lost God?

And what has he lost who has found God?” 

― Ibn 'Ata' Allah Al-Iskandari

Jagalah Allah nescaya Allah akan menjagamu!

Assalamualaikum wbt. J

  Nah, sudah seminggu atau lebih kita menjejakkan kaki di ‘Gedung Ilmu’ ini. Dengan wajah-wajah antara yang dikenali dan yang baru. Dengan semester, dan mungkin azam dan iltizam yang baru, tanpa meminggirkan azam yang belum terlaksana tahun sebelumnya. Mudah-mudahan kita akan menjadi antara golongan yang cuba merealisasikan suatu ungkapan daripada kekasih agung;

‘Islam itu tinggi, dan tiada suatupun yang lebih tinggi darinya’ ^[1]

Wake up with determination, go to bed with satisfaction!

Sahabat yang dikasihi,

            Sebelum kita merangka atau merancang sesuatu perkara, suatu persoalan besar yang perlu kita tanyakan kepada hati sanubari kita. ‘Untuk apa aku lakukannya??’. Dan, sebelum kita bisa memberi pengertian kepada persoalan itu, mungkin akan terbit suatu persoalan lain pula dalam diri kita. ‘Siapakah aku yang sebenarnya??’

Ultraman yang sentiasa berhadapan dengan raksasa Gorgonkah? Spiderman yang terpaksa menentang musuh yang merupakan kenalannya sendirikah? Atau, kita hanya sekadar merujuk diri kita sebagai suatu manusia di celahan billion manusia lain di seluruh muka bumi yang terbentang luas ini?

            Sungguh, skema jawapan persoalan ini sebenarnya telahpun digazetkan sejak lebih 1,400 tahun yang lalu melalui murobbi teragung, Nabi Muhammad saw;

“Tidaklah Aku jadikan jin dan manusia, kecuali agar mereka beribadah kepada Ku”^[2]

Juga, dalam satu firman yang lain;

“Dan (ingatlah) ketika Tuhanmu berfirman kepada malaikat: Sesungguhnya Aku hendak menjadikan seorang khalifah di bumi. Mereka bertanya: Adakah Engkau hendak menjadikan di bumi itu orang yang akan membuat bencana dan menumpahkan darah, padahal kami sentiasa mensucikan-Mu? Tuhan berfirman: Sesungguhnya Aku mengetahui akan apa yang kamu tidak mengetahuinya.”^[3]

            Sudah terang lagi bersuluh, suatu makhluk yang merupakan sebaik-baik kejadian^[4] ini bukanlah merupakan makhluk yang sekadar mengisi ruang-ruang kosong di muka bumi ini laksana sebutir pasir di padang pasir yang terbentang luas! Bahkan lebih dari itu!

Sahabat yang dikasihi,

            Hidup kita adalah untuk menjadi hamba yang taat kepada Penciptanya dalam seluruh aspek kehidupannya, juga sebagai khalifah yang memakmurkan muka bumi ini. Dua amanah terbesar yang Allah swt turunkan, dan kelak, tiap daripada kita pasti akan dipertanggungjawabkan atas amanah ini;

“Setiap daripada kamu adalah pemimpin, dan setiap daripada kamu akan dipertanggungjawabkan atas apa yang kamu pimpin”^[5]

Sahabat yang dikasihi,

            ‘Mardhotillah’. Keredhaan Allah swt. Itulah yang seharusnya menjadi tujuan dan matlamat dalam setiap gerak geri fizikal, mahupun mental dan spiritual kita. Rasulullah saw pernah mengingatkan kita;

“Sesungguhnya barangsiapa yang mencari redha Allah dengan marahnya manusia, maka Allah akan cukupkan baginya akan segala keperluannya di dunia ini. Tetapi barangsiapa yang mencari redha manusia dalam keadaan Allah murka, maka Allah menyerahkan nasibnya kepada manusia.” ^[6]

Kepada siapa lagikah selayaknya jiwa ini diserahkan? Kepada makhluk yang mempunyai pelbagai keterbatasan dan kelemahan, atau kepada Yang Maha dari segala sesuatupun?? Pilihannya di tangan kita masing-masing. Dan ingat..Kelak kita pasti akan dipertanggungjawabkan atas pilihan kita itu.

Sahabat yang dikasihi,

            Jadikanlah ‘Mardhotillah’ sebagai tujuan dan matlamat kita semua. Dalam sebesar-besar perkara seperti pembelajaran dan kehidupan berorganisasi, bahkan dalam sekecil-kecil perkara yang menjadi rutin seperti tidur dan melepaskan hajat di tandas. Semuanya dilakukan semata-mata kerana Tuhan sekalian alam. Semoga tiap saat dan hembusan nafas kita di dunia ini, merupakan amal-ibadah yang diterima disisi Allah swt. Biidznillah.

“Hidup sekadar hidup, babi di hutan pun hidup. Kerja sekadar bekerja, kera di hutan pun bekerja” (HAMKA)

Jagalah Allah nescaya Allah akan menjagamu!

[1] Kurang lebih mafhum sabda Nabi saw

[2]Surah ad-Dzariyat; ayat 56

[3]Surah al-Baqarah; ayat 30

[4]Surah at-Tin; ayat 4

[5]Kurang lebih mafhum sabda Nabi saw

[6]Hadith riwayat at-Tirmizi