Just Reminding Myself

I remember one time Ustaz Muhammad telling us of the reason why Allah tests people of faith.

And that is to raise their standing amongst men and also in Allah's eyes - upon them succeeding in overcoming their challenges.

Which they do through perseverance, patience, prayer and constantly remembering Allah.

And Allah tests his servants only as to what can be shouldered by them.

And never despair of Allah's guidance and rewards, and always keep in gratitude of his Rahmah.

On Concealing Truth

Edited 260309 1044 (Comment by Gukita refers)

At our usrah last night Ustaz Sihabudddin expounded on the tafsir of verses 159 - 162 of Surah Al-Baqarah:


Muhammad Asad Translation

[2:159]BEHOLD, as for those who suppress aught of the evidence of the truth and of the guidance which We have bestowed from on high, after We have made it clear unto mankind through the divine writ - these it is whom God will reject, and whom all who can judge will reject

[2:160]Excepted, however, shall be they that repent, and put themselves to rights, and make known the truth: and it is they whose repentance I shall accept-for I alone am the Acceptor of Repentance, the Dispenser of Grace
[2:161]Behold, as for those who are bent on denying the truth and die as deniers of the truth -their due is rejection by God, and by the angels,, and by all [righteous] men

[2:162]In this state shall they abide; [and] neither will their suffering, be lightened, nor will they be granted respite.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Examples of concealing the truth are:

1. not clarifying the true situation - for reasons known only to the concealor
   
2. deviating the truth of Allah's signs - this is usually in matters of faith and belief
   
3. outrightly falsifying Allah's guidance - eg. declaring a law or ruling as irrelevant

The external manifestations of Allah's signs can be seen by all. However, Allah's guidance (hidayah) is bestowed only to whom Allah chooses. It is the responsibility of the guided to upkeep and further strengthen their hidayah, through the following steps:

1. maintain acts of worship including all permissible actions intended for Allah - ibadah
   
2. improve goodness and strength of character - akhlak
3. multiply meritorious and pious deeds
4. increase religious knowledge and awareness

When the guided chose to conceal the truth of Allah's signs and guidance, the consequence is that they will be rejected / cursed by Allah as well as by others who have the right to reject / curse them.


There are 3 levels of rejection / curse:

1. Aathim - being in sin due to misdeed eg. being disrespectful of one's parents
2. Adzab - as a punishment eg. being in turn, disrespected by one's own children
3. La'nat - being rejected by Allah and be without his mercy. For the examples above, having a family that's totally unsupportive and dysfunctional.

Only when they repent (taubah), and right themselves and openly declare the truth, will Allah accept their repentance. For it is Allah and only Allah who accepts repentance and who is the most merciful.


The conditions for the acceptance of taubah are:

1. be fully remorseful of the wrong-doing
2. persistently stay away from sinful acts and disobedience to Allah
3. be determined to not repeat the wrong ever again
   
4. ask for forgiveness from the wronged person
5. demonstrate positive change in acts and character

Allah gives stern warning that la'nat of Allah and the angels will certainly befall, one after the other, on people who deny the truth, and who until their deaths are still in a state of kufur i.e denial, rejection and disbelief.

Allahu a'lam

______________________________________________________________________________________

Yusuf Ali Translation

002.159 Those who conceal the clear (Signs) We have sent down, and the Guidance, after We have made it clear for the People in the Book,-on them shall be God's curse, and the curse of those entitled to curse,-

002.160 Except those who repent and make amends and openly declare (the Truth): To them I turn; for I am Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.

002.161 Those who reject Faith, and die rejecting,- on them is God's curse, and the curse of angels, and of all mankind;

002.162 They will abide therein: Their penalty will not be lightened, nor will respite be their (lot).

______________________________________________________________________________________

Malay Translation

[2:159] Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang menyembunyikan apa yang telah Kami turunkan dari keterangan-keterangan dan petunjuk hidayah, sesudah Kami menerangkannya kepada manusia di dalam Kitab Suci, mereka itu dilaknat oleh Allah dan dilaknat oleh sekalian makhluk.
[2:160] Kecuali orang-orang yang bertaubat, dan memperbaiki (amal buruk mereka) serta menerangkan (apa yang mereka sembunyikan); maka orang-orang itu, Aku terima taubat mereka, dan Akulah Yang Maha Penerima taubat, lagi Maha Mengasihani.
[2:161] Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang kafir, dan mereka mati sedang mereka tetap dalam keadaan kafir, mereka itulah orang-orang yang ditimpa laknat Allah dan malaikat serta manusia sekaliannya.
[2:162] Mereka kekal di dalam laknat itu, tidak diringankan azab sengsara dari mereka dan mereka pula tidak diberikan tempoh atau perhatian.

Patience and Prayer

Last usrah session, Al-Ustaz Shihabuddin dwelled on the tafsir of ayat 152 Surah Al-Baqarah:


(Yusuf Ali) 2:153. O ye who believe! seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere.

(Muhammad Asad) 2: 153 O YOU who have attained to faith! Seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer: for, behold, God is with those who are patient in adversity.

In facing our challenges, be they big or small, Allah has called upon us to seek help in 2 ways, i.e.

1. through patience
2. through prayer

Although by being patient does not mean to sit around waiting for divine intervention. Patience is an accompaniment to the problem-solving which we carry out by:

1. thinking out the strategies
   
2. putting full effort and taking positive action
3. making appropriate do'as
4. relying solely on Allah

Patience need to be exercised in various situations:

1. hardship - musibah
   
2. joy - ni'mat
   
3. adherence to Islamic principles - ibadah
   
4. forbidding evil - nahi munkar
   
5. socialising
6. spreading the message - da'awah
   
7. striving in Allah's way - jihad

There are 3 forms of prayer

1. Munajat - in repentance of sins
   
2. At-Taqarrub - in getting closer to Allah
   
3. Al-Ibadah - in fulfillment of the rights of Allah

Engaging all 3 forms is the best for asking Allah's help

The kinds of trials that Allah shall test us with are spelled out in ayat 155 Surah Al-Baqarah:

(Yusuf Ali) 2.155 Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere

(Muhammad Asad) 2: 155 And most certainly shall We try you by means* of danger, and hunger, and loss of worldly goods, of lives and of [labour's] fruits. But give glad tidings unto those who are patient in adversity

May Allah have Mercy on us

Kepimpinan Melalui Teladan - 2

(Downloaded from The Reader)

MAJLIS UGAMA ISLAM SINGAPURA

KHUTBAH JUMAAT PADA

14 JUN 2002M / 3 RABIUL AKHIR

(sambungan)

Bukan semua orang mudah memaham sesuatu nilai yang unggul dan murni secara intelektual. Namun, tidak sukar bagi semua orang memaham makna sesuatu dengan cara melihat dan meniru sesuatu yang terang dan nyata. Faktor qudwah hasanah yang dipakai dan dihidupkan oleh para pemimpin Islam di peringkat awal itulah yang membolehkan semangat dan isi Al-Quran menjadi mudah difaham, dihayati, dan dikembangkan oleh generasi umat Islam yang mula-mula.

Sebaliknya, di suasana kepimpinan tidak menghidupkan qudwah hasanah, sering timbul percanggahan antara aspirasi dengan realiti. Yang hendak dicapai berlawanan dengan pencapaian sebenarnya. Suasana begini pasti mengelirukan orang ramai. Orang akan keliru tentang nilai apakah yang hendak dipegang? Kekeliruan ini menjadi hambatan kepada usaha-usaha menyemai dan menumbuhkan unsur-unsur kebaikan dalam kehidupan masyarakat. Firman Allah S.W.T:

Maksudnya: “Mengapakah kamu menyuruh orang mengerjakan kebajikan, sedang kamu melupakan diri kamu sendiri, padahal kamu membaca Kitab. Tidakkah kamu mengerti?"

Bayangkan kesan-kesan negatif jika berlaku keadaan berikut:

Pemimpin yang gigih memajukan amalan demokrasi, enggan bersikap toleransi kepada pandangan-pandangan yang tidak sehala atau serasi dengan pandangannya.

Pemimpin yang menyeru berjimat-cermat dalam perbelanjaan agar mampu menabung untuk membangunkan ekonomi bangsa, menyampaikan perutusannya itu di sebuah majlis makan malam yang lumayan di sebuah hotel paling mahal.

Pemimpin yang diberi tanggungjawab membawa perpaduan di kalangan jemaah, mengamalkan kepimpinan yang menyebabkan wujud prasangka dan kecenderungan berkelompok-kelompok.

Ataupun, pemimpin yang mendorong rajin membaca, sedangkan diri mereka sendiri tidak membaca. Mereka menyatakan Islam sangat menggalakkan ilmu sains modern, sedangkan diri mereka sendiri tidak berusaha memahami bagaimana manusia boleh sampai ke bulan, bagaimana berlaku empat musim di setengah-setengah tempat di dunia, atau kurang peduli dengan kesan kejuruteraan baka dalam kehidupan umat.

Percanggahan begini pasti menambahkan kekeliruan. Nilai-nilai manakah yang benar, mesti diikut dan dihidupkan?

Sidang Jumaat rahimakumullah,

Kejahilan merupakan satu sebab mengapa qudwah hasanah tidak terjelma pada setengah-setengah kepimpinan. Oleh itu, sesiapa jua yang bersedia mengambil tugas kepimpinan harus memperlengkapkan diri dengan berbagai-bagai ilmu pengetahuan. Satu daripada usaha yang boleh dibuat ialah dengan cara banyak membaca.

Bagaimanapun, mempunyai ilmu pengetahuan sahaja belumlah mencukupi. Nilai-nilai kebaikan daripada ilmu itu mestilah pula dapat diserapkan dan disebatikan dalam jiwa sehingga mampu melahirkan tindakan-tindakan yang baik secara spontan dan bersengaja, iaitu tanpa dipaksa-paksa dan tanpa mengira tempat, masa dan suasana.

Mudah-mudahan dengan kesedaran menjalani proses melatih dan membina akhlak seperti ini, dunia kepimpinan dalam masyarakat kita akan menjadi lebih kuat. Dan sesiapa jua yang mengambil tugas kepimpinan, baik di rumah, dalam masyarakat, dan seterusnya pada peringkat negara, akan berbuat sejajar dengan apa yang dianjurkan, iaitu kepada menghidupkan qudwah hasanah.

Kepimpinan Melalui Teladan - 1

(Downloaded from The Reader)

MAJLIS UGAMA ISLAM SINGAPURA

KHUTBAH JUMAAT PADA

14 JUN 2002M / 3 RABIUL AKHIR

CONTOH TAULADAN YANG BAIK

Mauduk khutbah saya kali ini ialah Qudwah Hasanah. Dalam istilah masa kini, ia boleh disamakan dengan kepimpinan melalui teladan. Seorang pemimpin Islam, tidak harus hanya bercakap mengenai keunggulan Islam, tetapi mesti mampu menunjukkannya dengan contoh-contoh dalam kehidupan hariannya.

Firman Allah:

Maksudnya: “Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, mengapa kamu mengatakan apa yang tidak kamu perbuat ?. Amat besar kebencian di sisi Allah bahawa kamu mengatakan apa-apa yang tiada kamu kerjakan”. (As-Shaf: 2-3) .

Dalam erti yang lebih meluas, qudwah hasanah menuntut seseorang, istimewa bagi yang mengambil tugas kepimpinan, agar menjadikan dirinya teladan kepada melaksanakan dalam kehidupan sehariannya seruan-seruan kebaikan yang dia laung-laungkan. Dia harus bertindak sebaik kebaikan yang dianjurkannya, bukan sebaliknya. Jika dia menyeru dibasmi korupsi, dia sendiri mesti bersih dari segala unsur korupsi. Jika dia menganjurkan peningkatan ilmu, dirinya mesti menjadi teladan sebagai seorang pencinta ilmu. Jika dia memanggil kepada kemuliaan akhlak, peribadinya sendiri adalah gambaran akhlak mulia.

Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ialah contoh terbaik bagi qudwah hasanah. Apabila isterinya Aesha ditanya mengenai akhlak Nabi, beliau menjawab: “Akhlak Nabi ialah Al-Quran!”

Maksudnya, keperibadian Nabi, sifat dan sikap baginda, cara baginda berfikir dan bertindak, kehidupannya, semangat dan perjuangannya – semuanya berupa natijah yang tumbuh dari asuhan Al-Quran. Apa yang baginda lakukan adalah melaksanakan anjuran Al-Quran. Apa yang baginda tinggalkan adalah apa yang dilarang Al-Quran. Baginda menyampaikan Al-Quran, dan dirinya sendiri menghayati semangat dan isi Al-Quran. Nilai-nilai abadi yang tumbuh dalam dirinya adalah hasil asuhan Al-Quran. Jadilah baginda seolah-olah Al-Quran yang hidup. Itulah yang dimaksudkan Aesha bahawa akhlak Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. ialah Al-Quran.

Sebagai pemimpin, baginda berada di barisan hadapan dalam menegakkan kebenaran dan dalam menghadapi tentangan daripada perjuangannya. Baginda menolak tawaran kemewahan dan kesenangan hidup, dan bersedia menghadapi pelbagai risiko demi menegakkan kebenaran.

Meskipun seorang ummi (tidak tahu membaca dan menulis), Baginda amat meninggikan kedudukan ilmu. Di akhir Perang Badar, baginda menawarkan keampunan dan kebebasan kepada setiap tawanan perang yang sempurna mengajarkan bacatulis kepada 10 kanak-kanak di Madinah. Kata baginda,


Ertinya: “Kelebihan orang berilmu daripada orang abid (yang banyak ibadahnya), adalah seperti kelebihanku daripada orang yang paling rendah dari kamu.” (Riwayat Tirmidzi dari Abi Umamah).

Baginda juga paling unggul dalam memberi makna kepada prinsip persamaan dan persaudaraan. Status seorang hamba seperti Zaid bin Harithah, diangkat dengan mengistiharkannya sebagai kerabat Baginda, keturunan bangsawan Quraisy. Ketika sebahagian sahabat masih taksub kepada sentimen kebangsaan Arab, Baginda mengistiharkan Salman dari Farsi sebagai kerabatnya, dan sekaligus melunturkan sentimen sempit tersebut.

Qudwah hasanah juga berlaku dalam kepimpinan para Sahabat.

Sebagai Khalifah, Abu Bakar, yang telah menghabiskan hampir seluruh hartanya membantu perjuangan Islam, terus hidup sederhana, dan tidak punya istana.

Umar bin Khattab, yang dengan kehebatan kepimpinannya membolehkan Islam berkembang ke Syria, Iraq dan Mesir, terus dengan amalan hariannya yang sederhana baik dari pakaiannya ataupun makanannya. Ketika jazirah Arab dilanda kebuluran, Umar langsung tidak makan daging, minyak sapi, ikan atau makanan lazat, sambil tidak putus-putusa berdoa, “Ya, Allah! Jangan Engkau hancurkan umat Muhammad dengan dosa-dosaku.” Sifat sederhana itulah yang membolehkan beliau melihat dan merasakan sendiri masalah dan kesulitan rakyat, kemudian mengambil langkah-langkah memberikan bantuan yang diperlukan.

Ketika sedang solat dan didatangi peminta sedekah, Khalifah Ali bin Abu Talib, tanpa tangguh-tangguh lagi telah memberikan cincin perak yang dipakainya kepada peminta sedekah tersebut. Itulah cara memberikan makna secara unggul kepada erti kedermawanan dan kebajikan.

Demikianlah beberapa contoh qudwah hasanah, iaitu berbuat baik bagi menghidupkan unsur-unsur kebaikan yang dianjurkan, dan tidak bercanggah antara apa yang diperkatakan dengan yang dikerjakan. Dengan melaksanakan dalam bentuk amali apa yang diperkatakan, sesuatu nilai yang baik itu akan lebih mudah difaham. Dan kesannya akan lebih mendalam. Apa yang dikata, dikota. Yang samar (abstract) menjadi nyata (concrete). Inilah proses pembelajaran yang mudah, dan paling berhasil.

(Bersambung)

Surah Al-Baqarah Ayat (152 - 153)

- Remembering Allah and Seeking Help from Him

فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُون 2:152)



Translations
(Yusuf Ali)
2:152.Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Faith.

(Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall)
2:152 Therefore remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not Me.

(Malay)
[2:152] Oleh itu ingatlah kamu kepadaKu (dengan mematuhi hukum dan undang-undangKu), supaya Aku membalas kamu dengan kebaikan; dan bersyukurlah kamu kepadaKu dan janganlah kamu kufur (akan nikmatKu).


يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَعِينُواْ بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلاَةِ إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ (2:153)

Translations
(Yusuf Ali)
2:153. O ye who believe! seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere.


(Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall)
2:153 O ye who believe! Seek help in steadfastness, and prayer. Lo! Allah is with the steadfast.


(Malay)
[2:153] Wahai sekalian orang-orang yang beriman! Mintalah pertolongan (untuk menghadapi susah payah dalam menyempurnakan sesuatu perintah Tuhan) dengan bersabar dan dengan (mengerjakan) sembahyang; kerana sesungguhnya Allah menyertai (menolong) orang-orang yang sabar


(Thanks to Ustaz Shihabuddin)

Surah Al-Mukminun (Ayat 1-11) - 6 Ciri-ciri Orang Berjaya

Usrah Bersama Dr Fatma El Zahraa

BismillahirRahmanirRahim
Dengan nama Allah, Yang Maha Pemurah, lagi Maha Mengasihani

[1]Sesungguhnya berjayalah orang-orang yang beriman,
[2]Iaitu mereka yang khusyuk dalam sembahyangnya;
[3]Dan mereka yang menjauhkan diri dari perbuatan dan perkataan yang sia-sia;
[4]Dan mereka yang berusaha membersihkan hartanya (dengan menunaikan zakat harta itu);
[5]Dan mereka yang menjaga kehormatannya, -
[6]Kecuali kepada isterinya atau hamba sahayanya maka sesungguhnya mereka tidak tercela: -
[7]Kemudian, sesiapa yang mengingini selain dari yang demikian, maka merekalah orang-orang yang melampaui batas;
[8]Dan mereka yang menjaga amanah dan janjinya;
[9]Dan mereka yang tetap memelihara sembahyangnya;
[10]Mereka itulah orang-orang yang berhak mewarisi -
[11]Yang akan mewarisi Syurga Firdaus; mereka kekal di dalamnya.









(My thanks to hazel2K)

Remembering The Prophet عليه السلام

This is an excerpt from the book "The Sealed Nectar"by Saifur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri. It is an authoritative account of the life our Prophet Muhammad. The passage is from the chapter - "A New Society Being Built" which refers to the first stage of life in Madinah after the Hijrah.

(This entry is in conjunction with Maulidur Rasul 1430H )

__________________________________________________________

It was solely by his wisdom and dexterity, that the Prophet عليه السلام erected the pillars of the new society. This phenomenon no doubt left its mark on the virtuous Muslims. He used to bring them up in the light of the Islamic education, he sanctified their selves, enjoined them to observe righteousness and praiseworthy manners and was keen on infusing into them the ethics of amity, glory, honour, worship and first and foremost obedience to Allâh and His Messenger.

The following is a cluster of the virtues he used to inculcate in the minds of his followers:

A man asked the Messenger of Allâh عليه السلام which of the merits is superior in Islam. He (the Prophet عليه السلام) remarked:

"That you provide food and extend greetings to one whom you know or do not know."[Bukhari 1/6,9]

‘Abdullah bin Salâm said: When the Prophet عليه السلام arrived in Madinah, I went to see him and I immediately recognized through his features that he would never be a liar. The first things he (the Prophet عليه السلام) said was:

"Extend peace greetings amongst yourselves, provide food to the needy, maintain uterine relations, observe prayer at night while people are asleep, then you will peacefully enter the Garden (Paradise)."[Narrated by At-Tirmidhi; Mishkat Al-Masabih 1/168]

And he said:

"The Muslim is that one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe.[Bukhari 1/6]"

And said:

"None amongst you believes (truly) till one likes for his brother that which he loves for himself.[ibid 1/6]"

And said:

"He will not enter Paradise, he whose neighbour is not secure from his wrongful conduct.[Narrated by Muslim; Mishkat Al-Masabih 2/422]"

And said:

"A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he neither oppresses him nor does he fail him. Whosoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allâh will remove from him one of the griefs of the Day of Judgement. Whosoever shields a Muslim, Allâh will shield him on the Day of Resurrection.[Mishkat Al-Masabih 2/422; Sahih Al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim]"

And said:

"Abusing a Muslim is an outrage and fighting against him is disbelief.[Bukhari 2/893]"

And said:

"To remove something harmful from the road, is charity.[Mishkat Al-Masabih 1/12]"

And said:

"Charity erases sins just as water extinguishes fire.[ibid 1/14]"

And said:

"He is not a perfect believer, who goes to bed full and knows that his neighbour is hungry.[ibid 2/424]"

And said:

"Show mercy to people on earth so that Allâh will have mercy on you in heaven.[Sunan Abu Da'ud 2/235]"

And said:

"Try to avert fire even by half a date (in charity) if not by tendering a good word. [Bukhari 2/190]"

And said:

"Clothing an under-clad Muslim, entitles you to a garment from the Paradise; feeding a hungry Muslim will make you eligible (by Allâh’s Will) for the fruit of the Paradise, and if you provide water to a thirsty Muslim, Allâh will provide you with a drink from ‘the Sealed Nectar’.[Mishkat Al-Masabih 1/169]"

He used as well to exhort the believers to spend in charity reminding them of relevant virtues for which the hearts yearn.

He said:

"The believers in their mutual love, are like the human body where when the eye is in agony, the entire body feels the pain; when the head aches, all the body will suffer. [Narrated by Muslim]"

And said:

"The bonds of brotherhood between two Muslims are like parts of a house, one part strengthens and holds the other.[Bukhari 2/890]"

And said:

"Do not have malice against a Muslim; do not be envious of other Muslims; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him. O the slaves of Allâh! Be like brothers with each other. It is not violable for a Muslim to desert his brother for over three days.[Bukhari 2/896]"

___________________________________________________________

الله أعلم

Final Part - From Minus 33 To Plus 33

degrees centigrade i.e.

After lunch at a nearby hotel, we sent Yerlan and Zhanara, a young couple from Kazakhstan, to their hotel in KL where Yerlan would be attending a conference. The drive there was without incident, except for one small weird thing - hubby's other car, a bright red, shining, new second-hand sporty make had an attitude and decided not to co-operate with us. So what was the problem? The air-con again! And 33 degrees outside. Time to put things into perspective, I thought. "Yerlan", said I, "this is not hot yet. Remember, on the day of days, the sun will be not one fist away from our heads". Hubby chuckled at his wife's preaching. For us, there is nothing left to do but to just sit back and enjoy the ride, with the windows down. Hubby was in his element nipping in and out of traffic, which happens whenever he drives that car, anyway - like having a second wind in a mid-life crisis!

We saw Yerlan and Zhanara again 3 days later, this time to take them to the KL Tower and then to KLIA for their flight home. In the 3 days, they had been to Low Yat Plaza and bought a Toshiba lap-top, also to Templers Park where they picnicked at the waterfall and were fascinated by the monkeys. They had also been to KLCC and visited the Aquaria, which according to Zhanara, is exactly like the one in Astana, down to the fish themselves. Additionally, they had attended Friday prayers at the Wilayah mosque. Apparently the women's solat area upstairs was open and available for use by Zhanara.

We had a very nice buffet dinner at the Seri Angkasa revolving restaurant up in the tower. Only my second time there, understandably. The night-time view of KL and KLCC was quite astounding, but the photographs didn't turn out good enough to be posted here. There was live piano music and at one point we were entertained to a hale and hearty rendition of "New York, New York" by a gang of Americans three tables away.

For the drive to KLIA, we used the new Maju Expressway. It took us only about 3o minutes to get to the airport. Not bad. Along the way, on the darker stretches of the road, hubby told us stories of his encounters with jinns when he was dabbling in some form of silat (a Malay martial art) right after Form 5. He said that jinns know your greatest fear and because of their ability to take on different forms, will appear to you in the form you fear the most, just to test your mental strength. Anyhow, that was a very long time ago and he dropped the silat after realising that these things are not to be messed with and especially after getting a major scolding from his parents. We were quite tickled by Yerlan's whispered tone as he translated the stories to Zhanara.

It was time to say our good-byes. I would say that the limited time we had spent together with Yerlan and Zhanara had been very memorable, indeed. Plus Zhanara's lingering hug and loving peck on my cheek made it all so worthwhile.

Some facts we gleaned from snippets of conversation with Yerlan:

1. Kazakhstan has plenty of natural resources. In fact they have all the elements that are represented in the Periodic Table.
   
2. Kazakhs are mainly descendants of Genghis Khan and are very proud of their warrior qualities. There is a tribe / race of Russian stock who are "warrior pretenders" and they call themselves Qazaqs. The pronounciation is different.
3. Kazakh Muslims are of the Hanafi school. After Friday jemaah prayers, they do 4 rakaats of sunah with 2 salams.
4. No religious study was taught in schools and universities during the Soviet era. Only Leninism, Stalinism, Marxism, Capitalistic Materialism.
   
5. Yerlan has done his Hajj. In Mekah, he observed that the Malaysian "contingent" were given the choiciest places to stay. He marvels at the function and organisation of Tabung Haji.
6. Yerlan and hubby use an endearment when they refer to one another. This is by adding -ke (pronounced as in "day") to the first syllable of each other's names i.e Yer-ke and A-ke (assuming hubby's name is Ali).
7. Every Friday, Yerlan rings his father to remind him to attend Friday jemaah payers. Older Kazakhs are less keen about Islam than the younger generation.
   
8. Yerlan speaks 5 languages - Kazakh, Russian, German, English and a litle Arabic.
9. Putrajaya is a very small version of Astana!

I hope you enjoyed your stay in KL, Yerlan and Zhanara. Rahmet!

Missing the boys

السلام عليكم
Dear Imang and Ayu',

Missed you guys terribly last Saturday. Since you were not there to provide bass and tenor, our "choir" became flat and uninteresting. Anyway we each read 3 pages Surah At-Taubah pages 190-192. Then Ustaz did a new section for taranum - Surah Ali-Imran ayat 144-148. Listen to his recitation in this recording (hand-phone quality - maybe next time I'll get something more "professional").



The Malay translation:

[144] Dan Muhammad itu tidak lain hanyalah seorang Rasul yang sudahpun didahului oleh beberapa orang Rasul (yang telah mati atau terbunuh). Jika demikian, kalau ia pula mati atau terbunuh, (patutkah) kamu berbalik (berpaling tadah menjadi kafir)? Dan (ingatlah), sesiapa yang berbalik (menjadi kafir) maka ia tidak akan mendatangkan mudarat kepada Allah sedikitpun; dan (sebaliknya) Allah akan memberi balasan pahala kepada orang-orang yang bersyukur (akan nikmat Islam yang tidak ada bandingannya itu).

[145] Dan (tiap-tiap) makhluk yang bernyawa tidak akan mati melainkan dengan izin Allah, iaitu ketetapan (ajal) yang tertentu masanya (yang telah ditetapkan oleh Allah). Dan (dengan yang demikian) sesiapa yang menghendaki balasan dunia, kami berikan bahagiannya dari balasan dunia itu, dan sesiapa yang menghendaki balasan akhirat, kami berikan bahagiannya dari balasan akhirat itu; dan Kami pula akan beri balasan pahala kepada orang-orang yang bersyukur.

[146] Dan berapa banyak dari Nabi-nabi (dahulu) telah berperang dengan disertai oleh ramai orang-orang yang taat kepada Allah, maka mereka tidak merasa lemah semangat akan apa yang telah menimpa mereka pada jalan (ugama) Allah dan mereka juga tidak lemah tenaga dan tidak pula mahu tunduk (kepada musuh). Dan (ingatlah), Allah sentiasa mengasihi orang-orang yang sabar.

[147] Dan tidaklah ada yang mereka ucapkan (semasa berjuang), selain daripada berdoa dengan berkata: “Wahai Tuhan kami! Ampunkanlah dosa-dosa kami dan perbuatan kami yang melampau dalam urusan kami, dan teguhkanlah tapak pendirian kami (dalam perjuangan); dan tolonglah kami mencapai kemenangan terhadap kaum yang kafir.

[148] Oleh itu, Allah memberikan mereka pahala dunia (kemenangan dan nama yang harum), dan pahala akhirat yang sebaik-baiknya (nikmat Syurga yang tidak ada bandingannya). Dan (ingatlah), Allah sentiasa mengasihi orang-orang yang berbuat kebaikan.

Ayat 147 is a powerful doa which we should all try to put into practise.



Class ended with De'yang reading out this hadith which is from the authority of Abdullah bin Abbas, and contains one of the doa's of Rasulullah SAW.

"Ya Allah, aku berserah kepada engkau,
aku beriman kepada engkau,
aku bertawakal kepada engkau,
aku kembali kepada engkau,
dan aku berjuang kerana engkau.
Ya Allah aku berlindung dengan kemuliaan dan kekuatan engkau,
tiada Tuhan yang aku sembah melainkan engkau,
janganlah aku disesatkan.
Engkau yang hidup dan tidak akan mati sedangkan jin dan manusia semuanya akan mati"



Till next time, إن شاء الله
Auntie Z

Part 2- From minus 33 to plus 33

degrees centigrade that is......

Yerlan and Zhanara, our friends from Khazakstan, wanted to see how similar Putrajaya is to Astana, where they live. It was a sight-seeing trip for hubby and I too, since it must have been about 3 years since we were last there. We drove slowly on the boulevard leading to the Prime Minister's Department, stopped to take some photographs of the office buildings, and the views of the lake, finally ending up at the Putrajaya Mosque.

It was nearly noon and the sun was shining overhead. The young Kazakh couple looked quite heated up, especially Yerlan, a strapping six-footer, who was already sweating profusely. Nevertheless the men offerred prayers at the mosque before we moved on to peek at the Prime Minister's residence in the air-conditioned comfort of hubby's car.

Next stop - Cyberjaya. There was nothing much by way of attractions there, except perhaps the huge mural at LimKokWing University. They took a photograph there and then we decided to head to the KL Tower for a panaromic view of KL.


But it was not to be. Yerlan and Zhanara, I guess you were meant to be tested that day. At the LDP toll plaza, the car's air-conditioning packed up! And it was 32 degrees outside. Inside, probably 40! The poor dears, from the freezer straight into the tandoori! Down came the windows, and off we went in search of a workshop with air-conditioning service, presumably to fill some air-con gas. We found one in the Puchong area close to Lake-Edge, alas when the mechanic lifted the car's bonnet to check, there was the compressor dropped from it's mounting. I won't mention the make of the car so as not to prejudice anyone, suffice to say that it is a well-kept 14 year-old but it had seen better days, to be sure. The mechanic removed the broken bracket, charged us RM5 for his "hard" labour, and we drove back to our house to transfer to hubby's other car.

"Yerlan'' I said, "Welcome to our home. Count yourself lucky that you get to see the real KL and not just the tourist areas". Both husband and wife agreed, as they enjoyed the ice cool water-melon pieces I served. It was past one p.m. already and time for some lunch. KL Tower will have to wait.


Part 3 next, Insya Allah.