train of thoughts

Assalamu'alaikum,

I was looking at all these YM statuses and I was thinking how varied the interests are between people and yet this trend of one time, really, being addicted to a specific train of thoughts and another time hooked on another. It goes in phases. And people follow these phases. Either completely in awareness of it or not aware of it at all. There's nothing wrong it. Its part of sunnatullah. When you are given that thrill of a specific thought process, you'll fell the rush of it for awhile. Sometimes its ticks around longer. Sometimes short. But, all insyaAllah can be beneficial if viewed with an open mind. And of course if everything is within the syariah.

I was thinking you know. Basically I click on these statuses once in awhile. And so I got to this vid called A Land Called Paradise, which is a song for peace, sung by Kareem Salama. Its a a wonder actually. A blessing. Alhamdulillah. Just a few moments back, I was looking for this guy. About 2 years ago, I went to London for this expo called the IslamExpo. They had these like mini-concerts two nights. And each one presented an ensemble of contemporary Muslim artists who sings basically Arabic or English songs. You had to get a separate ticket for those concert. Separate from your ticket for the Expo itself. I didn't want spend too much on these concerts but I do wanna watch what Muslims generally outside of my country is listening to nowadays. And I'm not a big fan of the nasheed brand I was exposed to in my country, so I decided to just go for one of the concert. Fortunately, the Expo itself had printed a very very nice booklet or more like a magazine for the Expo itself. And so, in there, you had a brief description and pictures of all the artists that were performing. And so, basically, when I got back from the trip, I searched YouTube for these artists. And one of them was Kareem Salama.

So, basically, that was like 2 years ago. And I've forgotten the guy's name. But, I remember that I liked a one or two of his songs. And I was looking for them, when I clicked on that particular YM status. And Alhamdulillah you know...there he was! A miracle! Alhamdulillah..

There was another YM status that I clicked on. And it led me to this amazing talk by this Syeikh in the US. Basically about the tafsir of surah al-Kahf. Amazing really. How in depth that surah is. And the lessons you learn are tremendous. Some things you would never have thought about if you read it alone on your own. Alhamdulillah. From there, you know...there was a link provided..and from there you get to a bunch of other really good talks. And Alhamdulillah God has given me such tremendous insights on things through those talks. Although I don't dare listen/watch too much of them. Cause I do know, that you gotta practice you know, you know. Its like, what's the point of me getting to know so much, if I don't absorb it well. If I don;t sit and ponder. And really think about how this portrays and apply in my life. And how I can change form this thing that I know. So, you know, I don't quite like much to watch so many things or read so many things, except for things that change the way I look at things. Things that change my mind. Things that change my perception. These kinda things, talks like these, I think everyone need to give more attention to. Although, there is a risk of getting too caught up in thought processes that you end up not actually doing anything, but just completely engulf in discussing thought processes. This is basically the traps that most philosophers get into. Its not that its completely wrong. For the philosophers themselves, at least for those that are actually rooted, or that actually a solid belief/principle...for them, discussing these philosophies have an impact in their life. They are able to translate those philosophy into solid actions. But, this is only for themselves. And for the group of students that they teach. or basically their apprentices who probably has the exact same in-built mechanism in them. But, this is a very very small subculture. A minority in fact. And their exertions on the public as whole, where majority of the ummah resides, is almost too little.

You know, when the ummah looks at them. And reads their writings. Or hear their opinions. That ummah is not able to translate that same train of thoughts into actions. Or the ummah could completely misunderstand and act 180 degrees off-course. Now this is the thing that I think is the weakness of going through or specializing or sticking life-or-death with this method. This is where I think is the weakness of philosophers and, analogously, academics and scholars. There is a failure in transmitting their wisdom to the public. And one of the big reason, I think is the lack of jumping into the society. Meaning actually mixing with the crowd, really moulding them slowly, with the aim of giving understanding, moulding that understanding and really making a solid, physically, can-be-seen effort at changing the society. Indulging in discussions and philosophical discussion in the sense of merely doing only just that, and completely engulfing oneself in that pursuit for a higher sophisticated philosophical or academic or scholarly understand is in fact futile. And definitely, not what will change the ummah at this current state that we are in. This state of weak iman that crumbles so easily in the face of the west or any other un-Imanic influence, this state of Muslims not even knowing their own deen, not even doing the basic acts of submission like solat and zakat and sawm, the state of the ummah completely in assabiyah and sick wahn. Face the reality. This is the state of the ummah! The ummah is not in need of knowing the different ways of taking the wudhu' according to this scholar or that scholar or according to this mazhab or that mazhab. They don't even know why they are taking the wudhu'. They don't even feel the cleansing of that act in meeting their God purity. They don't even feel their God there. These are rituals they do everyday. So, it feels wrong not to do it. Not wrong because of betrayal to Allah. Or the feeling of complete love towards the Allah that you praying to. Or the torture of missing Him so dearly if you miss even one appointment. Of if you face that appointment in dirt and impurities. No. The ummah does not feels this. So what is the point of knowing all those differences in methods of taking wudhu' if the heart is not there. if Iman is not there. If taqwa is not there. If even belief is not there. Syirk is the bigger problem here.
,,,

I was searching for Hamza Yusuf on YouTube. Just looking for some recent talks. And RausyanFikir posted a very nice rihlah he did with Syed Naquib Al-Attas in Malaysia. Hm! I thought. Cool!. So I clicked on it.

I knew about Syed Naquib Al-Attas before. I don't know that much. Just basically know that he is a Malaysian thinker. I read some stuff RausyanFikir wrote about his meeting with the Syeikh. But I couldn't follow the discussion. Too much terms I don't know. I think most probably, students of philosophy can follow. But I'm a student of Medicine. So, it was almost impossible.

Anyway. My dad e-mailed me one about the Syeikh's reponse in the use of kalimah Allah in a Christian magazine. It was like an issue in Malaysia. This time around, for this issue, I don't feel its necessary to discuss in blogs or whatever in lengthy detail. You will go around in circles. This is what I think. There's a lot of angle in which you can approach this issue. And basically, this is an issue to blind a bigger agenda that is no even in that loop of discussions. And I don't mean that that agenda is Kristianisasi. I would just say here, that Muslims should look at themselves. The key to the whole big highly media-ized and public-ized issue is actually just within a Muslim self.

Okay, anyways. I read the view of the Syeikh regarding the issue. I thought it was okay. But it was not something that hooked me in you know. I respect the Syeikh, but you know, I probably won't be searching the guy up on YouTube for latest talks. Basically he's good. But, taste, likening and the feeling of somehow like being a fan, is relative.

From the rihlah between him and S. Hamza Yusuf, I understand more his (S. Al-Attas's) style. Basically, how he delivers is message or point. So, Alhamdulillah. The talk was a very good complement to his answer to the kalimah Allah issue in the e-mail my dad sent me.

It's Alhamdulillah a good lesson to be learnt. A little bit of knowledge will make a person arrogant. But a lot will make him humble.

And this is the precise tadabbur of the ayat:

We raise in degrees whom We will, but over every possessor of knowledge is one [more] knowing. (Surah Yusuf ayat 76)

And Allah has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of Allah upon you been great. (Surah An-Nisa' ayat 113)

There is no god but He: That is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise. (Surah Ali-'Imran ayat 18)

Wallahu'alam.

=)

salam

oh gosh. it's been a long time since I last listen to Hamza Yusuf talk. Just watched this one just now. Just gotta say...."I'm Loving It!" =) erk..sorry...I'm just a fan.. =)

His points always grabs my attention, and I love his style and knowledge and how integrates and presents things in, I would say, a very unique manner, unlike any speaker I've heard of. Anyways, here's the talk:







salam! =) Let's try to remember these reminders and apply them in our plans for the future (marriage/family), InsyaAllah!

age don't matter

salam

erm.. I actually don't quite want to write this in, but I dunno....a lot of things I think needn't need to be said, but a lot of times in discussions or plain chats with my friends, these things end up being said....a lot of things I think, people can understand on their own....turns out...not from my point of view, but, really, from experiences...most of those things turned out needing to be explained or least, pointed out...I know this sounds very very conceited....I don't mean it that way...I can only guess that I need to say this..because you know sometimes...., when you say something.....what you say..can immediately nullify it...I'll give you an example..

When someone says "I am pious". As soon as he says that, you know he is not.

Or when a someone claims he's a mujtahid, immediately you know he is not one. At least, not the mujtahid.

Or when someone says "I am the best Muslim around", you know he is not.

Get what I mean...?
These kind of statements...,
these...I don't like to say. Things about myself and what I actually think about things. But, to be someone who wants to spread Islam or wants to see good in this world, anyone, you need to say it out to people. I really really don't like to write what I'm about to write...it's not that its bad...but people might perceive of me otherwise, just because of me just saying it. This is kinda like the issue that I have with myself a lot of times. I want to say something, yet, I don't put myself out there, you know, I'd rather just stay below the radar, but that is never the role of a Muslim. So, you know, there's always these tugs of war.

Anyways, the title above is 'age don't matter'. Okay, as I said, I don't quite know if everyone feels this way about age, or don't feel this way and as I said above, I'm not quite sure if it needs to be pointed out. But, I'll just go on and say it out. Hope it's fine with everyone.

Erm, age don't matter.

As I go on more and more in life, as I get older, as I basically age and live and go through things and most importantly learn, what I know of Islam is that it can be found anywhere. Seriously, anywhere! You can find it in the park, in the bus, in your room, with your family, in schools, at the beaches, in the air, in the soil, in the tummy of a mother, in the hearts of man, in the minds of geniuses, even in the most unexpected places such as in pubs, clubs, football fields, cinemas, movies, games, clothes, fashion, etcetra etcetra. Literally everywhere! Characters of Islam is everything and anything that is good in this world. Everytime you are anywhere, and in any situtation, you see that Islam there, if and only if, you are a truly subservient Muslim only to Allah and Allah alone, and if you have the sensitive heart of a Muslim who is yufaqqihu fiddeen.

A Muslim, who is truly true to his shahadah, who will have already learned the aqidah, and know completely how to distinguish between what is Islam and what is Jahiliyah (Non-Islam), will immediately see what is Islam in each aspect of his or her life.

For example, if he reads a story about a child being good to his parents, he sees that as Islam. It doesn't matter if that child happens to be a Jew living in a lush house in Tel Aviv. It doesn't matter if the writer is a self-pronounced Zionist. A Muslim would still see that quality of being good to your parents as a very Islamic quality.

The same goes for age. Age don't matter when it comes to Islam. You can learn so much from a child. You can also learn a lot from a grandfather or a grandmother. You can learn from your senior, one year older than you. Or your junior, one year younger than you. Needless to say, you can also learn from your peers.

Sometimes, tables can turn. The person who you use to give tuitions to, to teach with all your heart, mould him/her from knowing nothing to knowing everything, is suddenly so much more smarter than you. So much successful. So much more rich, maybe. More filled with wisdom. And is blessed with the intelligence of a lot of things. He or she ends up now teaching you. The student has become the teacher. If this knowledge is Islam, can you accept that? Or will your pride and ego get in the way? Or will traditions be put as your ilah over Allah? Or your emotions as an ilah over Allah? Or your feeling of 'huh, this kid who's still wet behind the ears wants to teach me?? the mighty me who used to be his teacher?!?!?' ?

Islam is something that is so so precious. You can get it anywhere, everywhere. You just need to open up your heart, soften it a bit, really open it, to accept that Islam anywhere and anywhere in any situation. Open up your horizon. Seriously. And be willing to be faithful. It's, MashaAllah, a beautiful feeling. Don't let your grudges about things, or about the past, or about being hurt by somebody or some situation, get in the way of you being Islamic, of you being a good Muslim, who knows how to be kind to his peers and be gentle as his Prophet s.a.w. Things happen always for a reason. And actually when you think about, if you are complaining, in reality, who are you complaining at? Isn't it a shame if you suddenly find that it is Allah? All things come from Allah, So if you're complaining about things, you're basically complaining about Allah. Astaghfirullah.

It's really something to ponder about...

The last thing any Muslim intends, is to suddenly not be Islamic. The last thing any Muslim intends to do is hurt Allah in the sense of complaining about Him or be completely unfaithful or ungrateful to Him. The last thing any Muslim intends to do too, is to hurt their friends and neighbours in any way, be it by the words they say or the things they do. In this respect, let's be kind to our friends. Take care of the words we say and how we say it. And the best example we have in how to treat our friends is Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Get to know him and emulate him. He is our best example of a best friend.

Wallahu'alam. :)

p/s: Points in this article is basically applicable to anything in life, be it age, ranks/posts, nationality, culture, language, country, personality, past, future, organisation, etc etc. See and differentiate Islam in all these things, and open up your heart to accept it. InsyaAllah. And of course, always start anything with a prayer (doa/dua) to the Creator. He is the Keeper of hearts, so pray to Him to open your heart fresh every single time. ;) :)