Something worth sharing. Pt. 1

   I got this from a close friend. After reading it, I found that it’s worth sharing with the whole world. Something such as beautifully written would be greatly appreciated by anyone who reads it. It touched me in a sense where I realized part of what I've been losing sight of for some time. To find your way in this life and for the hereafter. That is the real journey that all of us are going through. To realize that every single each and every one of us are only fellow travellers to the grave.   The "day dreamer", a true friend and a great writer.

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Assalamualaikum.“I am not looking for a husband at this age. I am merely exploring the essence of my teenage hood, that is, without disobeying Allah’s laws.”There has been quite a lot on my mind lately. No I am not losing my mind. I am just bothered by a small problem. Before this, I chose not to tell anyone about my worries. I am not afraid that they will get sick of listening to them. I chose not to because I was too embarrassed to. It is not an accomplishment. Just a sign that I am human. I shall not call it a mistake for nothing ever is one nor will I feel proud about it. Everything happens for a purpose. The fact that i hold a certain queer feeling for a significant other worries me. I am sure it is no sin to feel so. Allah is Just. I am sure that most of us have gone through this feeling at least once. As a teenager, I feel that the word ‘love’ will not work for me unless I am expressing my love towards Allah, Prophet Muhammad pbuh, my religion and my society. I do not want to use the word ‘like’ either as I feel it makes me sound like a kindergarten kid all over again. I think I will stick to ‘feelings’. I realise that my faith still needs to be worked on as I feel that I am burdened by this natural phenomenon. I clearly do not know Allah’s plans for me. I try not to waste my time trying to figure it out for I will never know till the right time comes. Is this a sin? Am I committing a sin? I ask this question every second of the day. I do not try hard enough to distance myself from him that it seems I barely put an effort in making it succeed. But each day I talk to Allah, I feel I want to more and more. Thinking about whether or not he feels the same about me is not an act of intelligence. Satan’s whispers may cloud my own voice. Then it might lead to other unfortunate events. Love? No, I am nothing but an incomplete slave of Allah. I am not ready. I should be making my parents smile, the Prophet proud and Allah love me; not waste what isn’t mine to do useless things. He may be meant for me, he may also not be. I choose to work on the certain, not the uncertain. I am 17 years old and I have a great journey ahead of me. To rid the person I have feelings for just because I want to run away from the fact that what I feel for him IS true, would only prove my immaturity as a woman, so I won’t. He is a Muslim and I consider all Muslims as my family. My genuinely deep feeling for him will not cloud my ways as I treat him merely as my friend. There is nothing wrong with being friends with a person you have feelings for. He is a good friend and only that. I want to wake up and feel satisfied with myself. I want to know Allah and his prophets better than I know another human being. I want to open my eyes each morning and love myself because although I commit sins every day, at least I am trying to avoid the ones I DO realise I am doing. I am not saying love is a crime. It really isn’t. What makes it wrong is when we act without thinking, act based on these feelings. 

Superstition Has No Standing What So Ever In Solving Problems. Do You Agree? (No)

Superstitious belief has survived throughout the epochs. Although it has experienced variation resulting many of the world’s civilisations and communities have their own brand of superstition. Although these beliefs differ from each other on the basis of practices, they share one common trait that sets the belief. Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality. It is the belief that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events. In fact, it is totally absurd to believe that superstition has no standing what so ever in solving problems because superstition helps to regulate our conduct and behaviour in public, superstition provides a chance for the elders to play their roles, and superstition functions as a personal moderator.

Superstition helps to regulate our conduct and behaviour in public. With its own interpretation of bad and good, it regulates the public with a unique brand of norms. The public would then maintain their conduct and would not go beyond the imaginary line of what is considered as taboo. For example, Malaysians believe that it is bad luck to give a knife by hand to anyone who requires it. A person would put the knife on a table or any other surface and the other would pick it up. By logic, this will avoid any mishaps from occurring. The worst case scenario is that the knife would accidently harm the other person. The mentioned superstitious belief will avoid this disaster from happening.

Superstition provides a chance for elders to play their roles in maintaining the family. Traditionally, seniority is well acknowledged since experience is unattainable by the youth. Although elders would conjure up stories to rationalize their teachings and actions, it still plays the role of enabling the influence of the elders upon the youth. Their views would be respected and their voices would be heard. The tribe or clan would refer to a single elder in their disputes and misunderstandings. Envisaging the elder as the sole authority, he would be judge, jury and peacekeeper. It is essential in order to control the later generation. Disrespect and rebellion can be successfully avoided and peace would be maintained.

Superstition functions as a personal moderator. Most superstitions have their roots in at least semi-logical behaviours. Walking under a ladder, for example, is always a bad idea. As is breaking a mirror, often the only piece of glass in ancient homes because it would take seven years to clean up, and you'd probably be cut every time you tried. "Black" or any other colour of cat was probably crossing your path in its hunt for a rat, and rats carried plague. Food restrictions once made some sense, too (and often still do). Pork, for example, was notorious for carrying trichinosis, and shellfish, especially from warmer waters, all but guaranteed serious gastro-intestinal illness.

On the contrary, some people would view that superstitions are incapable of solving problems what so ever. It is believed that superstitions are not the solution, but actually is the cause of it. Superstition will fuel mankind with irrational paranoia and insane fear. There has been a case reported of people hacking a 70 year old woman with her daughter and grandson because they were accused of witchcraft. In history, the witch hunts which resulted in massive executions were on the basis of superstitious belief. How can the generation of today allow such irrational beliefs exploit our sanity?

It is undeniable that the previous catastrophes were gruesome and inhumane. However, it is unfair that sole belief in superstition is to be blamed since they were actually the product of insecurity the society had at that age. People were irrational and they killed because they were afraid of what they know nothing of. In addition, their actions were more religious rather than superstitious. Their Christian faith condemned witchcraft and their priests condemned any witches that were found to death by hanging, drowning and beheading. Blind faith in their priests had led them to disastrous ends. Thus, their superstitious belief had no role in justifying their actions.

Verily, superstitions do play an important role in the daily lives of men. Despite that seemed illogical, superstitions have their contribution in helping to regulate our conduct and behaviour in public, providing a chance for the elders to play their roles, and functioning as a personal moderator.

Past History

About  thirteen  and  a  half  centuries  ago,  when the world was sunk in the darkness of  ignorance, sin and impiety, a light  of  true  knowledge  and  guidance rose from the horizon of  the rugged hills of  Batha.* Its rays spread to the East, West, North and South; they reached every corner of the earth  and within the short period  of  2 3  years, the way was paved through  that  light  for the  mankind to move to such heights of  glory as had  never been attained  before.  It enlightened Muslims and created in them the urge for taking the right counsel, which would ultimately bring them their salvation.  By  following the  right path  and the guidance emanating from that  light, the  Muslims moved from success to success  and  attained  the  highest  pinnacle  of glory in history. For centuries, they ruled on this earth with such grandeur and strength that no contemporary power had the courage to challenge them and, if someone dared to do so, he did that at the risk of being annihilated. This is the historical truth, which cannot be-erased. But, alas! this fact of  history has only become a myth, an ancient tale, to narrate which may sound meaningless and ridiculous, particularly  in the context  of  the present day life of  Muslims, which  obviously is a blot on the brilliant performance and achievements of  their  ancestors,  the  early followers  of Islam.

The 'one'

{About knowing who “the one” is} you can’t know those types of things. You can only trust what you feel in your heart and take a blind leap of faith. That’s what life's about. You know, we’re not put on this earth to live perfect lives, where we never get hurt or we never make mistakes. We’re put here to hurl ourselves headfirst into this crazy world, and the bruises and scrapes we get along the way; they just mean you're living life.

Family

Sometimes your family can make you really mad or feel bad and make it hard to see the good things in them. But then one day they're gone and all you have left are the memories and you see all those good things in a new light and you wish that you had pointed them out a little more often along the way.

Islamic Socialism

My first project paper on socialism...

Those who deny Allah and His Messengers, and (those who) wish to separate Allah and His Messengers, saying: "We believe in some but reject others": and (those who) wish to take a course midway. They are in truth (equally) Unbelievers; and We have prepared for unbelievers a humiliating punishment. To those who believe in Allah and His messengers and make no distinction between any of the messengers, We shall soon give their (due) rewards: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

An-Nisa : 150-152

Islamic socialism is a term coined by various Muslim leaders to describe a more spiritual form of socialism. Muslim socialists believe that the teachings of the Qur'an and Muhammad SAW are compatible with principles of equality and the redistribution of wealth drawing inspiration from the early Madinah Al-Munawwarah welfare state established by the Muhammad SAW. However, Muslim Socialists are more conservative than their western contemporaries. Islamic Socialists found their roots in Anti-imperialism. Islamic Socialist leaders believe in Democracy and deriving legitimacy from public mandate as opposed to religious texts or claiming to be successors of the Prophet's companions.

Abū Dzar al-Ghifārī, a Companion of Prophet Muḥammad, is claimed by many as the founder of Islamic socialism. He believed that the public wealth is the sole right of the Muslims. Their leader or representative cannot control it.⁽¹⁾ He protested against the accumulation of wealth by Muawiyyah the Governor of Syam and urged the equitable redistribution of wealth. The Governor’s policy at the time did not involve the wealth being distributed directly to the people. In contrary, Muawiyah’s policy was in line with the situation in Syam where the wealth was spent in the development of the state, and in favour of the Muslims.  In fact, this issue was actually sparked by the enemies of Islam like Abdullah bin Saba’. He purposely influenced Abu Dzar, whom was a zahid⁽²⁾, to question the authority. The caliph Uthman ibn Affan heard about the conflict and kindly requested Abu Dzar’s audience in Madinah Al-Munawwarah. After their discussion, the problem was immediately solved.⁽³⁾

The concepts of welfare and pension were introduced in early Islamic law as forms of Zakat (charity), one of the Five Pillars of Islam, later established during the time of the caliph Umar Al-Khattab in the 7th century. This practiced continued well into the era of the Abbasid Caliphate, as seen under Al-Ma'mun's rule in the 8th century, for example. The taxes collected in the treasury of an Islamic government were used to provide income for the needy, including the poor, elderly, orphans, widows, and the disabled. According to the Islamic jurist Al-Ghazali (1058–1111), the government was also expected to stockpile food supplies in every region in case a disaster or famine occurred. The Caliphate is thus considered the world's first major welfare state.⁽⁴⁾

Though medieval Islamic economics appears to have somewhat resembled a form of capitalism, some arguing that it laid the foundations for the development of modern capitalism⁽⁵⁾, some Orientalists also believe that there exist a number of parallels between Islamic economics and communism, including the Islamic ideas of zakat and riba.⁽⁶⁾

Socialism has its advantages, yet it also has grave defects which make it far from ideal. Socialism is essentially a reaction to the evils of capitalism. It replaces the dictatorship of the economic elite with a dictatorship of the proletariat. Ultimately, the individual is subject to a totalitarian system devoid of a moral or spiritual compass. However, the Islamic economic system is unique in that it strives to achieve a balance between the extreme. It seeks to strike a chord between the need for individual economic freedom and the need to serve the common good. Despite the fact that without religion or a spiritual foundation, self-interest can only lead to an ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor. That is why socialism failed to accomplish what it set out to do – establish economic equality. Yet, Islam resolves the conflict between self-interest and the collective good. It expands and stretches the usually narrow concept of self-interest to include not only the desire for worldly things but also the desire for Paradise (Chaprah, 28). It is in every Muslim’s self-interest to reach Paradise. This interest cannot be served except by fulfilling one’s social obligations and by working for social and economic justice in one’s community. So, in other words, in an Islamic system, one’s desire for material wealth will be kept in check by one’s greater desire for Paradise, resulting in a synthesis of the material and spiritual.

The emphasis here is on the spiritual foundation of Islamic economics. ‘Umar’s economic model provides us with an attractive alternative. But, the question is how to apply it in today’s world? Of course, it would be impossible to copy ‘Umar’s model. The challenges that we face in today’s world are quite different than the challenges that Muslims faced in the 7th century. Today, countries must provide for millions of citizens. But for these measures to ensure equality and distributive justice, then they must be accompanied by a strong religious and spiritual foundation. In the Islamic system, the means are not confused with the ends. Acquiring wealth and making profit is simply a means to the greater end of establishing justice and fulfilling God’s will. The spirituality of man is not neglected. And this is what sets the Islamic economic system apart.

Today, the world is ripe with gross economic inequality and extreme poverty. To plot a better future for our children, perhaps we would be well-served to look at and learn from the past. We need not be restricted to either capitalism or socialism. The Islamic alternative is one that deserves the careful attention of all students of history, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. In a world where darkness and despair reign supreme, perhaps the spirit and the principles of Islamic economics can provide us with a ray of light.

We can conclude that Islamic economics should be considered as neither completely capitalistic nor completely socialistic, but rather a balance between the two, emphasizing both "individual economic freedom and the need to serve the common good."⁽⁴⁾

I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

Some years back, when I started to understand things happening around me. I noted down a poem in my personal diary. Writer of this poem (i.e. Ernest Henley) was not much popular that time as I know but after an incident he became world famous and his poem was published in all leading dailies of the world. He got fame in just a day, kudos to a bad guy named Timothy McVeigh. What I can remember that this guy was accused for a bomb blast in Oklahoma City due to which nearly 200 people died. This guy was accused for murder of those 200 people.

In a letter he requested be sent to the Observer, McVeigh said he was "borrowing a page from US foreign policy" and had "decided to send a message to a government that was becoming increasingly hostile by bombing a government building." He chose the Alfred P Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City.

He was sentenced to death and died by lethal injection. McVeigh had confessed to the bombing, and referred to the execution as "state-assisted suicide". Timothy McVeigh chose the poem Invictus, which means "Unconquerable" in Latin, to be his final statement. He handed a handwritten copy of William Ernest Henley's poem to the prison warden, Harley Lappin, just before his death.

I was always able to inspire me with this poem especially from the last line i.e. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

Read this poem while keeping timothy in your mind- (a man who is going to die in some days, a man who doesn't know how world is going to take his name, a man who will get a place in history though with a wrong reason, a traitor, a rebel) 

Out of the night that covers me, 

Black as the Pit from pole to pole, 

I thank whatever gods may be 

For my unconquerable soul. 

In the fell clutch of circumstance 

have not winced nor cried aloud. 

Under the bludgeoning’s of chance 

my head is bloody, but unbowed. 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears 

Looms but the Horror of the shade, 

and yet the menace of the years 

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. 

It matters not how strait the gate,

 how charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate: 

I am the captain of my soul.

http://rendezvous-with-rdx.blogspot.com/

Allah

Allah. 

Allah gives light in darkness,

Allah gives rest in pain,

Cheeks that are white with weeping

Allah paints red again.

The flowers and the blossoms wither,

Years vanish with flying fleet;

But my heart will live on forever,

That here in sadness beat.

Gladly to Allah's dwelling

Yonder would I take flight;

There will the darkness vanish,

There will my eyes have sight.

This poem is an English translation made by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow from the German poem which is written by a non-Muslim. Despite the fact that the writer was a non-Muslim, he did not conveyed a disrupted image of Allah.

I believe that we can enjoy the beauty of poetry and the divinity of Allah being illustrated in it.

The poet was Siegfried August Mahlmann (May 13, 1771 – December 16, 1826) who was a German poet and editor.

Mahlmann was born in Leipzig, and studied law at the University of Leipzig. In his early life, he served as private tutor to a young nobleman, whom he accompanied to Göttingen and then on a trip through northern Europe. From 1799 he become a bookseller, writer, and editor. From 1806 to 1816 he edited the journal Zeitung für die elegante Welt, and from 1810 to 1818 the newspaper Leipziger Zeitung, the latter of which resulted in his brief imprisonment in 1813 by the French during the Napoleonic Wars, in the fortress of Erfurt.

The German poet Mahlmann used the form "Allah" as the title of a poem about the the ultimate deity, though it is unclear how much Islamic thought he intended to convey.

AGENDA - Angkatan Generasi Muda

M'sians are immatured when it comes to politics. One side sings the hymns of revolution, to seek change and willing to fight for it. The other is the side that pours its loyalty to the government and yearns for the utopia its building.

However, we should look from a matured vantage point - a different point of view. An economical one. The Rakyat shud in fact view the economical plans of the manifesto presented. Which side has the most ideal plan to save and harness then improve the M'sian economy? Our choice shud also be based on the principles of a candidate and how he may contribute to our well-being. It's neither suffice to just believe in a leader that has experience on ruling a nation, nor is it to label a leader incapable and incompetent just because he is non-Muslim. We should be able to choose based on faith and values of Islam. The Rakyat needs not a political revolution. In fact, the rakyat needs a mindset revolution. "Revolusi Pemikiran".

In history, the Kaum Tua are the ones who only worked for the afterlife and banned the people from learning english and other so called 'secular' knowledge. The Kaum Muda of the past fought the true Islamic values, where the prophet taught his people to 'plant a seed eventhough the sun is already rising from the west'. Now, the old people are turning to become to secularic. They forget the values of Islam. They practice it no longer and soon will forget the tenents of Islam. As the new generation, the young generation, we must make a change in the people's mindset. We are all Muslims, and we WANT to practice its values and teachings in EVERY aspect of our life. The youth must act as the youth of history did. We must take stand say that enough is enough. It's time for a revolution. A mindset revolution. Revolusi Pemikiran... dengan gerakan baru, sinonim dengan Kaum Muda. AGENDA - Angkatan Generasi Muda... Are you in?

Antara UMNO dan PAS

Penulis harap isi kandungan entri boleh disemak dan diteliti semula.

Fakeh Khalifah Saka

UMNO menggunapakai ijtihad Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fathani sebagai manhaj siasah mereka; iaitu menekankan penguasaan ilmu, kepandaian meliputi segala bidang serta strategi politik yang berkesan sebagai wasilah perjuangan untuk membina tamaddun bangsa Melayu yang muafakat dengan syarak. Ijtihad Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fathani adalah berdasarkan penyaksian terhadap faktor-faktor kegemilangan dan kejatuhan Daulah Uthmaniyah. Pemikiran beliau boleh dirujuk melalui Kitab As-Siyasatu wat Tadbir, Kitab Jumanah At-Tauhid (1876), Kitab Tashil Nail Al-Amani (1882), Kitab Al-Fatawal Fatahaniyah (1889), Hadiqul Azhar War Rayahin (1890) dan Kitab Mir-at Al-A’ajib (1906)

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    Fakeh Khalifah Saka PAS pula berpegang kepada ijtihad Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al-Mandili, iaitu anak murid kepada Pak Cu Him dan Pak Da Eil (sepupu Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fathani) sebagai mazhab politik mereka; iaitu dengan mewajibkan umat Islam menyertai PAS untuk menolak pemikiran nasionalisme, undang-undang penjajah, kepemimpinan bukan Islam dan mewajibkan perjuangan menegakkan negara Islam. Ijtihad Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al-Mandili adalah ekoran daripada lahirnya pelbagai fahaman barat yang menolak Islam. Pemikiran beliau boleh dirujuk melalui buku-buku karangan beliau sendiri seperti Pendirian Agama Islam (1956), Islam : Agama dan Kedaulatan (1959), Kebagusan Undang-undang Islam dan Kecelaan Undang-undang Ciptaan Manusia (1961) dan Siasah dan Loteri dan Alim Ulama (1962)
    
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