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SPIRITUAL AUTHENTICITY

16 September 2008

Spiritual Authenticity: An introduction - by Mohd Nadzrin - posted on http://silat-melayu.blogspot.com

Malaysia sits at the nexus of some very interesting commercial lines. I say interesting, because not only does the society acknowledge and condone their existence, but in a way, so does the government.

If you go to Kuala Lumpur, the tourist spot that everyone tells you you should visit is Petaling Street, or fondly known as Chinatown where knock offs abound: pirated handbags, wallets, watches, DVDs and what have you.

In all the government and non-government travel brochures, Petaling Street is touted as "the" place to get cheap goods, but stops short of revealing its ethical dilemma. The problem is, most of the goods aren't out and out pirated. They are overruns, meaning, they were produced at the same factory contracted to produce the originals. They are just as good as the real thing. And if there ever was an analogy that worked for plagiarism in silat, Petaling Street would be it.

Silat could properly be classified as Traditional Knowledge if we go by the definition here. Traditional Knowledge is deemed to belong to a community, but an issue arises when segments within that community cross-claim it to belong to a smaller group, a family or even an individual.

This was not always a problem. Long before there were 'schools' and 'styles', there was a master and a student. This minimum of a pair was the 'school' and what passed between them was the relationship.

From my surveys among silat masters, most of them agree that knowledge does not pass from them to their students, because they ultimately do not know what their student receives or understands. This is rooted in the sufi conception of knowledge, that when someone teaches something, it is not the facilitation skills of the teacher, nor the sheer intellect of the student that creates understanding. It is that Allah reveals this knowledge to both the teacher and his student at the same time with differing insights.

The master could, in his process of explaining a concept he studied, gain an updated enlightenment. Or, it is the student who gets it immediately, without the master having to say too much. This, especially in silat circles who are deeply influenced by Tariqat, is called "Haq Diri" or granted knowledge for one individual.

Because the master and student now have 'different' knowledge, and the master acknowledges the student as a master himself, they are now masters of different styles. Their own "Haq Diri".

When one studied with one's master, the master's duty was always to lead one on the right path of understanding, of seeing the universe in a holistic manner, which made Silat applicable in both wartime and peacetime. You'd use the same methodology to fight or debate, in diplomacy or marital facilitation, in economy or government and it was always your interpretation of the same basics.

Which means, whatever knowledge you learned was indisputably your right. This knowledge had good tendencies and would always guide its user towards good. However, in Islam, a right to something carries certain responsibilities, and it is understood that when abused or misused, can lead to the understanding being "repossessed" by Allah and in its place, false knowledge that resembles the original which guides its user, by virtue of the evil in his heart, towards evil.

A simple way of stating it is that the status of the knowledge changes from being "authorised" to "unauthorised".

Now, although this "authorisation" process happens spiritually, there are masters who claim to be intermediaries or are able to assess that his student has met the conditions for authorisation, in effect, becoming Allah's earthly authorised representative. For example, when a master grants masterhood to his student, he also places conditions, most of which are sourced from Islamic Law.

He is deemed to have lost his right to the knowledge his master facilitated if he kills without due reason, fornicates, commits adultery, steals, lies and so on. In one way, the conditions are also parameters to safeguard the sanctity of the knowledge.

We have to remember that this was a time when there was no style names, no uniforms and certainly no school colours. There was no plagiarism because there was no way to identify one from another. Everyone was graded on their skills in battle, or their wisdom in the village, not by how many students they have or what fancy techniques they employed.

They were valued more for their piety than their haughtiness. It was this humility that signalled the height of their skill and gave credence to their spiritual authenticity.

This method of authentication is practised by and an accepted part of many silat styles in Malaysia, and the modernisation of silat is threatening this age old tradition. Styles that are legally registered, are recognised by the government as organisations, and not as traditionally passed down schools.

This opens up opportunities for opportunists who see financial or material gain in leading his own version of a particular school. There have been cases where silat syllabi have been lifted wholesale and imported into another school under a different name.

Thus, in one way, law helps control the copyright of the master's knowledge, but it also robs him of many other rights, which he was granted under the spiritual authenticity system. Since there are very few things in culture that can be copyrighted, we are forced to accept it when dissenting factions split off from the main, and continue teaching the main art.

In extreme cases, offshoots actually manage to legally copyright their master's arts and claim them as their own.

Until the day that the law catches up with spiritual authentication, we will see more plagiarism of the efforts of masters who know nothing of the law and what it can and cannot protect.
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Pok Nik's reply :

Salam Nadzrin...it's been quite a while...Here it comes

I was reading this interesting article of yours and thought of dropping a few lines.

I found your first 3 paras very intriguing but I think I can quickly recognize their significance.

Eventually, my 2 cents conclusion would be...

'be aware of 'inauthenticity' that may camouflaging itself using the label 'authentic' - I presume that you're referring to Silat.

Yes...different people have different views on this matter.

I do think that today (as we speak) there are so many 'inauthentic' Silats (please excuse my using the 's' - plural)

Let me tell you what I think...

The definitions and levels of inauthenticity may vary but to me (personally), whenever there are presence of 'hybrid elements' (some may not agree with me) I would say that this is an attempt to create another faction whether the practitioner realizes it or otherwise.

After looking into many angles - I humbly conclude that this 'hybrid' happens possibly due to :

a) For 'pesilat' that learns more than one silat - it is either simply reflex actions or an act tailoring oneself movements to the opponent's style (following the flow) Thus, the hybrid movements are unintentional. (perhaps self-discovery is also the reason)

b) For 'Pesilat' that learns more than one silat but has something else in his mind - to form up a new faction by combining 'Silat A' and 'Silat B'.

In this case, I wouldn't know what to say except wondering - Is the practitioner thinking of commercial purposes?

or just another 'publicity stunt' to say that 'I have improvised the method to make it better' (or worse?)

c) The best one - but I rarely heard of this one nowadays - By Act and Willing of Allah SWT, the practitioner 'discover some new movements' and established a total new 'Silat' - usually for the purpose of 'dakwah'(but I think this is more related to the spirituality domain - so 'no comments')

Whilst expressing the aforesaid personal opinion, I do not in any way against the 'hybrid' or 'spiritual discovery' (again, I'm merely saying out my personal views)

Traditional Knowledge? Hmmmm...it's difficult to say despite the definition that you quoted may sound convincing. Perhaps I'm not looking into Silat alone but into Martial Arts of Self Defence in general.

On the other hand, I find it hard to acknowledge the 'so-called' narrow claims (be it individual or groups) that Silat belongs to a certain community.

But if claims DO happen, the main reason is still somehow related to the 'self-discovery' (accidental) or as a result of 'hybrid'.

I would also second the motion of the silat masters that 'knowledge does not pass from them to their students, because they ultimately do not know what their student receives or understands' for the same reason - Sufi and 'how it should be' (once again, this phenomenon may involve the possibility of the future existence of the new versions coming out from the students eventually - is it 'inauthentic' or 'hybrid' or simply 'evolution')

On the 'authorized' or 'unauthorized' issue, my say :

"Is the practitioner using his skills for good or evil?"

"Is the movements (new movements that the-then student found out later) associated with some evil practice (black magic for example) or with something against the religious teachings?"

On the possibility of losing one's skills for 'committing sins' (unless I do not understand what you were referring to - as you use the word 'deem')

I do think that this action is still linked to 'taubat' (repent) and a practitioner can still; by God's Willing; self-discipline/restraint him/herself through 'taubat' and 'istiqamah' ('sustain' - rite?)

I somehow believe that every human being will be given 'second chances' to repair his/her mistakes.

Ok...that's all for now...

Wassalaam

Humbly
Pok Nik
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Mohd Nadzrin's reply :

Salam hormat Pok Nik,

The whole point of this is not the effectiveness of techniques, but verification by an authority, whether the student has permission by his master (or whatever spiritual lineage the master represents) to carry on his work, even if it is totally different from the original.

As for Traditional Knowledge, yes, defining it is difficult, even for the United Nations because both silat and taekwondo are Asian heritages, but certain taekwondo federations are based outside Korea and ultimately led by non-Koreans. Where do draw the line? When does it stop becoming Traditional Knowledge and becoming public domain? For now, silat is still easier to corral than other global martial arts.

You said, "On the possibility of losing one's skills for 'committing sins' (unless I do not understand what you were referring to - as you use the word 'deem')". Yes, I was referring to sinning against Allah and mankind and that his knowledge can be restored by repentance, through proper decorum and methods (and of course biiznillah).

It's an honour having you back here again. Please visit us more often. We miss you.

Salam persilatan
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Pok Nik's Reply :

Salam again my bro. (The honour and the 'missing this blog feeling' is totally mine)

Even my close silat friends found me difficult and tightlipped - to talk about 'verification' (tashih) or 'permission' for a practitioner
to (become the new Guru/Master to) carry on his work especially when the issue is interlinked to lineage and spiritual
matters.

To talk about lineage alone will definitely conquer so much space in here. Spiritual? Even 'longer'

So, may I avoid the spiritual and validated lineage subjects for now? Please...

But I think I'm quite clear about the possibility of introducing a different version after becoming the new master. It's his prerogative to introduce or improvise the technique during his
time and tenure as a Guru.

(I think this is about becoming the new 'Guru' or one of the authorized representatives of the 'Guru' - in Abjad's case we called them 'Badal'?)

In GENERAL, to ascertain the authenticity of the lineage (sanad) besides than looking or have the guts of asking the Guru to seek proof, practitioners must first know what sort of Master and the kind of Martial Arts he/she is looking for. (not limited to the following)

(Not all Master is 'really qualified' to be called Master - some are self-proclaimed and not verified or authorised or permitted but 'claims that they have been given permission' (so far I've never fallen for this 'trick')

1. Observe certain good qualities, traits and specificiations of the Master being sought, (KPI : 30%)

2. What are the core objectives of learning such Martial Art/Silat? Self-Defence? Sports? Healthy Lifestyle? Dakwah? etc, (KPI : 30%)

3. How does learning the martial arts/silat affects the practitioner personally - is he/she changing for the better or worse? In life, in religious practice etc.(KPI : 40%)

Permission/Authorization; on the other hand; is usually 'AWARDED' by the Master - in many cases NOT INHERITED - meaning - being the heirs to the father who happens to be the Master at the same time shall not automatically qualifies the son/daughter to carry out the legacy - UNLESS THE MASTER SAYS OTHERWISE (in his capacity as a 'Master' NOT as a 'Father' - otherwise - it is not an accurate practice - I'm not saying that it's wrong but depending on situation being encountered)

Why? It defies the principle of 'spreading the word/knowledge freely' when the legacy is restricted only to the family line. (Spock says : It's not logic)

(Haha- We're also not talking about Harry Porter's - heir to the Slytherine that can practice magic because they are from the 'pure blood family line' and the 'muggles' can not - it's discrimination, nepotisme and cronisme..you name it, we got it. But we're talking something similar to the 'Dragon Warrior' Po - where the 'award' is not given to the 'senior member' but is given by prerogative of the Master)

This is one of many reasons that eventually led to many conflicts when the heir started claiming the legacy after their father's death especially in the event of there is no written or oral will. So how to solve this issue? (some spiritual signs? or an EGM among the committee members)

On the other hand, conflicts may also arise when a practitioner felt that he is 'much senior' or 'much more experienced' or much more 'skillful' (or 'I was born first') than the 'junior' being selected by the Master.

So once the 'dissatisfied senior' questioned the Guru's selection (an act of insubordination - derhaka), he will usually create a new faction (despite from the validated lineage) (Darth Vader : Welcome to the Dark Side of the Force --- 'Ngeri!')
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Formally speaking, Permission is granted via special ceremonies in the presence of the students. Usually via means of awarding 'selimpang' (belt) of the highest order, seal, certain weapon, cert or some other symbolic gifts etc.

The Master will then proclaim the practitioner as his or one of his authorized representatives or even one of the new Guru. Those who are not present are asked to disseminate the info.

The significance of such ceremonies are very clear - so that there will not be any future conflicts.

Mind you, I'm not touching on 'taking into account spiritual elements for selection criterion and the validity of lineage' - due to 'certain constraint'...

Back to the traditional knowledge - I must agree with you that it should basically related to the place of origin.

But nowadays, it's like branding (not 'deemed as'). - ie. Branding 'Silat' as 'Malay Legacy', Branding 'Kung Fu' as 'Chinese Legacy' etc. Thus, if branding is equivalent to traditional knowledge, then probably it makes things easier to be resolved.

When the line is not drawn, then a new set of ruling will usually follow. Take the case of 'silat olahraga' - even in boxing and wrestling - a set of fixed rules required to be complied with)

But I feel that if this is the case, the real secrets are still safe with the traditional knowledge domain - not all are being revealed.

(Anyway, where are you directing me too? Tell me what's bothering you really bro Nadzrin - perhaps I could help as now I don't know of whether I'm talking gibberish or related to what you wish me to?)

17 September, 2008 22:49

CREATION OF LIFE

Human Beings Not "Descended" From Apes...
Creation of Human Life
By Huda, About.com

The descriptions of creation in the Qur'an are not intended as dry historical accounts, but rather to engage the reader in contemplating the lessons to be learned from it. The act of creation, therefore, is frequently spoken of as a way of drawing the reader into thinking about the order in all things, and the All-Knowing Creator Who is behind it all. For example:

"Verily in the heavens and the earth are signs for those who believe. And in the creation of yourselves, and the fact that animals are scattered (through the earth), are signs for those of assured faith. And in the alternation of night and day, and that fact that Allah sends down sustenance from the sky, and revives therewith the earth after its death, and in the change of the winds, are signs for those who are wise" (45:3-5).

Big Bang?

When describing the creation of the "heavens and the earth," the Qur'an does not discount the theory of a "Big Bang" explosion at the start of it all. In fact, the Qur'an says that "the heavens and the earth were joined together as one unit, before We clove them asunder" (21:30). Following this big explosion, Allah "turned to the sky, and it had been (as) smoke. He said to it and to the earth: 'Come together, willingly or unwillingly.' They said: 'We come (together) in willing obedience'" (41:11). Thus the elements and what was to become the planets and stars began to cool, come together, and form into shape, following the natural laws that Allah established in the universe.

The Qur'an further states that Allah created the sun, the moon, and the planets, each with their own individual courses or orbits. "It is He Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon; all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course" (21:33).

Expansion of Universe

The Qur'an also does not rule out the idea that the universe is continuing to expand. "The heavens, We have built them with power. And verily, We are expanding it" (51:47). There has been some historical debate among Muslim scholars about the precise meaning of this verse, since knowledge of the universe's expansion was only recently discovered.

Six Days?

The Qur'an states that "Allah created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in six days" (7:54). While on the surface this might seem similar to the account related in the Bible, there are some important distinctions.

The verses that mention "six days" use the Arabic word "youm" (day). This word appears several other times in the Qur'an, each denoting a different measurement of time. In one case, the measure of a day is equated with 50,000 years (70:4), whereas another verse states that "a day in the sight of your Lord is like 1,000 years of your reckoning" (22:47). The word "youm" is thus understood, within the Qur'an, to be a long period of time -- an era or eon. Therefore, Muslims interpret the description of a "six day" creation as six distinct periods or eons. The length of these periods is not precisely defined, nor are the specific developments that took place during each period.

After completing the Creation, the Qur'an describes that Allah "settled Himself upon the Throne" (57:4) to oversee His work. A distinct point is made to counter the Biblical idea of a day of rest: "We created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days, nor did any sense of weariness touch Us" (50:38).

Allah is never "done" with His work, because the process of creation is ongoing. Each new child who is born, every seed that sprouts into a sapling, every new species that appears on earth, is part of the ongoing process of Allah's creation. "He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself on the Throne. He knows what enters within the heart of the earth, and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven, and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wherever you may be. And Allah sees well all that you do" (57:4).

The Qur'anic account of creation is in line with modern scientific thought about the development of the universe and life on earth. Muslims acknowledge that life developed over a long period of time, but see Allah's power behind it all. Descriptions of creation in the Qur'an are set in context to remind the readers of Allah's majesty and wisdom.

"What is the matter with you, that you are not conscious of Allah's majesty, seeing that it is He Who has created you in diverse stages? See you not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another, and made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as a (glorious) lamp? And Allah has produced you from the earth, growing (gradually)" (71:13-17).

Life Came From Water

The Qur'an describes that Allah "made from water every living thing" (21:30). Another verse describes how "Allah has created every animal from water. Of them are some that creep on their bellies, some that walk on two legs, and some that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills, for truly Allah has power over all things" (24:45). These verses support the scientific theory that life began in the Earth's oceans.

Creation of Adam & Eve

While Islam recognizes the general idea of the development of life in stages, over a period of time, human beings are considered as a special act of creation. Islam teaches that human beings are a unique life form that was created by Allah in a special way, with unique gifts and abilities unlike any other: a soul and conscience, knowledge, and free will. In short, Muslims do not believe that human beings randomly evolved from apes. The life of human beings began with the creation of two people, a male and a female named Adam and Hawwa (Eve).

The Qur'an describes how Allah created Adam: "We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape..." (15:26). And, "He began the creation of man from clay, and made his progeny from a quintessence of fluid" (32:7-8). Thus, human beings have a fundamental attachment to the earth.

While the creation of Eve is not described in detail, the Qur'an does make it clear that a "mate" was created with Adam, from the same nature and soul. "It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her in love" (7:189). She is not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, but in Islamic tradition she is known as "Hawwa" (Eve).

From these two individuals, generations of human beings have inhabited the earth. "Oh humankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured among you in the sight of Allah is the who is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)" (49:13).
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Dari : Forum myMasjid

Allah menjadikan masa dalam seminggu tu ada 7 hari iaitu Isnin, Selasa, Rabu, Khamis, Jumaat, Sabtu dan Ahad. Dalam setiap hari tu, ada peristiwa-peristiwa penting yang tercatat dalam diari Islam itu sendiri yang menjadi memori sepanjang zaman.

Hari Isnin

1. Naiknya Nabi Idris ke langit.
2. Nabi Musa a.s berangkat ke bukit Thursina.
3. Rasulullah s.a.w dilahirkan.
4. Malaikat Jibril turun kepada Rasulullah s.a.w buat kali pertama.
5. Amal perbuatan umat Nabi Muhamad dilapurkan pada hari Isnin.
6. Hari wafatnya Junjungan mulia, Nabi Muhamad s.a.w.
7. Bukti keesaan Allah, diturunkan "Qul huwallahu ahad"

Hari Selasa

1. Wafatnya Jurjis.
2. Nabi Yahya a.s wafat pada hari ini.
3. Nabi Zakaria wafat pada hari ini juga.
4. Tukang sihir Firaun tewas dengan mukjizat Nabi Musa.
5. Asiah iaitu isteri kepada Firaun wafat pada hari ni.
6. Habil terbunuh hari selasa.

Hari Rabu

1. Allah menenggelamkan Qarun bersama keluarga dan harta kekayaanya ke dalam perut bumi.
2. Allah menghancurkan Firaun beserta semua pengikut2nya.
3. Allah menghancurkan Raja Namruz bin Kan'an dengan memasukkan serangga ke dalam telinganya.
4. Allah menghancurkan kaum Nabi Saleh a.s.
5. Allah menghancurkan kaum Nabi Hud a.s dengan hembusan angin yang kuat.

Hari Khamis

1. Nabi Ibrahim bertemu dengan Raja Mesir.
2. Saudara-saudara Nabi Yusof berjumpa dengan Nabi Yusof setelah mereka membuang dan mengasingkannya (masa ni, Yusof jadi raja mesir yang terkenal).
3. Bunyamin iaitu saudara kecil Nabi Yusof datang ke Mesir dan berjumpa dengan Nabi Yusof.
4. Nabi Yaakub datang ke negeri Mesir juga untuk bertemu anakandanya yang dirindui.
5. Nabi Musa a.s memasuki Mesir pada hari khamis untuk mengajak Firaun menyembah kepada Allah.
6. Rasululllah s.a.w memasuki Kota Mekah selepas perjanjian hudaibiyah.

Hari Jumaat

1. Pernikahan antara Nabi Adam dan Hawa.
2. Pernikahan antara Nabi Yusof dengan Zulaikha.
3. Pernikahan antara Nabi Musa a.s dan Shafura binti Nabi Syuaib a.s.
4. Pernikahan antara Rasulullah s.a.w dengan Khadijah Khuwailid.
5. Pernikahan antara Nabi Sulaiman a.s dengan Ratu Balqis dari negeri Saba'.
6. Pernikahan antara Rasulullah s.a.w dengan Siti Aisyah binti Abu Bakar.
7. Pernikahan antara Ali bin Abi Talib r.a dengan Fatimah Az-Zahra.

Hari Sabtu

Hari ni pernah disebut oleh Rasulullah sebagai hari tipu daya kerana:

1. Kaum Nabi Nuh membangkang kepada Nabinya.
2. Kaum Nabi Saleh mencabar Nabinya dengan menyembelih unta yang diamanahkan kepada mereka.
3. Saudara-saudara Nabi Yusof mengkhianati Nabi Yusof dengan mencampakkannya ke dalam perigi di padang pasir.
4. Raja Firaun mencabar Nabi Musa.
5. Orang2 Yahudi mengkhianati dan mengejar Nabi Isa a.s untuk membunuhnya. Lalu, Allah mengangkat Nabi Isa ke langit.
6. Orang2 Quraisy menipu dan mencabar Nabi Muhammad di Darun Nadwah.
7. Kaum Yahudi melanggar perintah Allah dengan menangkap ikan walaupun hari itu di larang mereka berbuat demikian.

Hari Ahad

1. Allah menjadikan neraka.
2. Allah mencipta bumi yang tujuh lapis.
3. Allah mencipta langit yang tujuh lapis.
4. Allah menjadikan 7 anggota adam.
5. Allah menjadikan bilangan hari yang tujuh.
6. Allah menjadikan bintang2 yang beredar.
7. Allah menjadikan lautan yang tujuh.

Di antara hari-hari yang tujuh itu, hari Jumaatlah yang paling mulia dan digelar penghulu bagi segala hari. Banyak fadhilat yang boleh kita perolehi pada hari Jumaat.

Begitulah peristiwa-peristiwa penting yang berlaku pada sekian-sekian hari. Hanya dengan mengimbas kembali lipatan sirah nabawiyah, barulah kita dapat gambaran sepenuhnya. Alangkah baiknya kalau kita berada di bumi anbiya. Bolehlah kita menuruti sejarah-sejarah silam, zaman pemerintahan nabi-nabi. Allah menjadikan masa dalam seminggu tu ada 7 hari
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Extracted from CVT Forum
http://www.komplimentari.com/node/97

On September 5th, 2007 aura says:

Assalaamu'alaikum wbr. dan Salam sejahtera kepada semua terutamanya Dr. Norhissam

Surah AnNuur : 35

اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونِةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ نُّورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

Allah adalah cahaya langit dan bumi. Perbandingan cahaya-Nya laksana misykat (sebuah lubang dinding yang tumpat), yang berisi sebuah lampu yang amat terang di dalam sebuah kaca dan kaca itu bersinar laksana bintang mutiara, ia dinyalakan dengan minyak dari sejenis pokok yang amat berkat iaitu pokok zaitun yang tumbuh tidak di sebelah Timur dan tidak pula di sebelah Barat. Minyaknya sahaja hampir-hampir memancarkan cahaya yang terang walaupun belum disentuh api. Iaitu cahaya yang berlapis cahaya. Allah menunjukkan kepada cahaya-Nya siapa sahaja yang dikehendaki-Nya. Dan Allah membuat perbandingan-perbandingan kepada manusia dan Allah maha Mengetahui segala sesuatu.

Tidak dapatlah saya nak memberikan komen kerana jawapan yang dicari ada di sini. saya sekadar singgah sejenak.

Saya bersetuju dengan Dr. mengenai E=mc2 yang hanya menerangkan mengenai formula tenaga. Namun mungkin kita masih boleh lihat dari perspektif lain pula mengenai penerangan tenaga (yang juga membuktikan bahawa apa yang dikatakan oleh Dr. mengenai 'kejadian berpasang-pasangan' : (penerangan berikut adalah secara ringkas)

a. Manusia - tenaga dalam tubuh manusia yang peka/'berinteraksi' dengan persekitarannya contohnya suhu, cuaca, laut, angin, matahari, angkasa/ruang dsb. Rasanya boleh dikatakan kita sebenarnya hidup secara harmoni dan ada 'link' dengan kosmos.

Tenaga juga datangnya dari makanan berasal dari tumbuhan yang melalui proses fotosintesis dibantu oleh matahari dan sukros/glukos dibentuk (tenaga dalaman tumbuhan)

b. Objek - dalam termodinamik, tenaga dalam tubuh ditandakan dengan U atau E, adalah tenaga kinetik yang berasal dari molekul bergerak secara translational, rotational dan vibrational dan tenaga berpotensi yang berkaitan dengan tenaga elektrik dan vibrational atom dalam molekul/kristal.

Jadi tenaga ialah karektoristik 'matter' yang mengerakkan (trigger) sesuatu perkara berlaku atau tenaga potensi yang disimpan dan berpotensi untuk membuatkan sesuatu berlaku.

Apa yang saya terangkan di atas masih berada dalam sempadan sains dan saya tidak menyentuh :

a. Mengenai teori temporal (angkasa) - sebagai menyokong apa yang disebutkan oleh Dr. Norhissam mengenai 'pasangan' - contohnya kejadian 'lubang hitam' yang dikatakan ada kaitan dengan masa dan anti-masa (analogus matter vs anti-matter)

b. Pandangan kesufian/metafizik/gnostik Islam.

b. Mengenai tenaga dalaman secara mistik yang bersabit dengan Chi, Qi-Gong/Reiki - mungkin di suatu masa kelak.

Apa yang saya ingin tekankan ialah pentingnya kita melihat dari perspektif-perspektif lain mengenai tenaga - barulah kita akan dapat lihat 'the big universal picture' atau 'helicopter view'.

Tidaklah niat saya untuk menunjukajar mengenai perkara ini kerana saya yakin Dr. lebih arif dari saya dalam hal-hal yang saya sebutkan ini.

Wassalaam.
-----------------------------------
TEORI TEMPORAL

Assalaamu'alaikum wbr.

Terima kasih di atas minat Dr. untuk menjemput saya seterusnya menyumbang sedikit kajian-kajian yang tidaklah begitu diminati ramai.

Namun begitu, saya ingin ingatkan para pembaca bahawa semua topik yang saya pilih tidak akan overlapping topik CVT dan mana-mana konsep perubatan atau mana-mana haipotesis yang telah dijelaskan oleh Dr. Norhissam dan rakan-rakannya di banyak portal/laman web. Jika tidak topik ini tidak akan jadi 'interesting'.

Teori temporal berkaitan rapat dengan struktur pe'masa'an (masa). Secara amnya masa didominasi oleh 'tenaganya' yang tersendiri. Ini termasuklah gabungan daya graviti dan elektromagnetik di mana masa akan bergerak secara seragam bersekali dengan alam semesta ini.

Jirim dipengaruhi oleh tenaga atom (termasuk tenaga/daya yang disebutkan di atas) bagi memastikan ianya kohesif. Graviti akan memastikan keharmonian jirim di bumi. Tenaga kinetik menggerakkan jirim menerusi mana-mana dimensi.

Firman Allah SWT dalam Surah Fusilat:

"Kami akan memperlihatkan kepada mereka tanda-tanda (kekuasaan) kami di segenap ufuk (Al-Afaq) dan pada diri mereka sendiri sehingga jelaslah bagi mereka bahawa Al Qur'an benar”

Al-Afaq ditafsirkan mengikut konteks tetapi ianya bermaksud - arah tanpa sempadan, dimensi dan juga horizon. Bagi diri kita – dimensi ialah arah kanan, kiri, depan, belakang, atas, bawah dan di dalam.

Dalam fizik - penyatuan semua tenaga dalam 10 ruang dimensi dicampur dengan masa (hyperspace) terutamanya pada proposisi super simetri dan dalam teori-M superstring.

Apakah teori kembali ke masa silam/atau melihat masa hadapan/perjalanan menerusi masa adalah fiksyen? Jika ianya fiksyen, tentunya mentah-mentah kita boleh menolak peristiwa Israk Mikraj, kita juga perlu menolak pandangan yang berdasarkan ilmu mukasyafah, kita juga perlu menolak 'ramalan' Rasulullah SAW mengenai zaman-zaman yang belum berlaku ketika itu? Kita juga tidak boleh berwawasan atau merancang untuk masa hadapan kerana kesempitan akal kita yang tidak dapat menerima bahawa 'perjalanan masa' itu satu perkara yang tidak munasabah? Kita juga harus menolak kekeramatan dan manakib waliyullah yang boleh berjalan dari satu tempat ke satu tempat yang jauh dalam masa yang singkat?

Abu Hasan Ali Al Asyari pernah melakukan kajian mengenai satu partikel sab-atomik yang dinamakan oleh ahli fizik barat sebagai Tachyon**. Tachyon merupakan satu partikel sab-atomik yang cukup istimewa. Ianya mampu melintasi mana-mana tenaga atau daya yang menggerakkan masa. Sebuah roket yang dilancarkan mempunyai peruntukan secukupnya untuk melepaskan diri dari tarikan graviti. Begitu jugalah dengan Tachyon yang mempunyai peruntukan secukupnya untuk melepasi kelajuan masa.

Firman Allah SWT :

22:47. Dan mereka meminta kepada kamu supaya disegerakan azab! Allah tidak akan memungkiri janji-Nya; dan sesungguhnya sehari dengan Pemelihara kamu seperti seribu tahun daripada perhitungan kamu.

32:5. Dia mengarah urusan dari langit ke bumi, kemudian ia naik kepada-Nya dalam satu hari yang ukurannya seribu tahun daripada perhitungan kamu.

70:4 Kepada-Nya malaikat-malaikat dan Roh naik dalam sehari yang ukurannya lima puluh ribu tahun.
----------------------------
** Teori temporal ini pernah dibincangkan oleh Al-Allamah Ustaz Haji Ahmad Che Din (Junaidin) secara komprehensif dalam syarah beliau mengenai Nur dan Laser (Tachyon)

LIGHT OF THE PROPHET

http://www.baalawi.com

LECTURE TITLE:
The Light of the Prophet

LECTURER:
Sayyid Mostafa (M.) al-Badawi (PhD)

LANGUAGES :
In English.


LECTURE :

"Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth . . . "[1] The Light is one of the ninety-nine Beautiful Names of Allah. Light is that by which things become known. Things may exist in the dark, but they cannot be seen. Light may be physical, such as the light of the sun or the moon, or intelligible, like the light of the intellect. The latter is that which illuminates the darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge. Total darkness is non-existence, thus light is that which brings created beings out of non-existence into existence. It is the creative act of Allah and this is one of the meanings of "Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth . . . " The other meaning is that every light in the universe is but a reflection of His mercy, every knowledge a reflection of His knowledge and so on. "Allah created His creation in darkness," said the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, "then He sprayed them with His light. Those whom this light reached became rightly guided, while those it did not went astray."[2] And he also said, as recorded by Muslim, "Allah, August and Majestic is He, wrote the destinies of creation fifty thousand years before He created the Heavens and the earth. His throne was on the water. Among what He wrote in the Remembrance, which is the Mother of the Book, was: Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets."

The Mother of the Book is the source of all knowledge, including the Divine Scriptures. It is the essential knowledge of Allah before He created creation. This is why it is said to have been written fifty thousand years before the creation of the cosmos, a symbolic number, since without stars and planets there cannot be days and years as we understand them. Allah conceived His creation in the darkness of non-existence, then with the light of His creative act brought them out into existence. Thus the First Light was created, a being appearing against the dark background of non-existence. "The first thing that Allah created was the Intellect,"[3] said the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He also said, "The first thing that Allah created was the Pen," which amounts to the same thing, since the first intellect is the primordial light in its passive aspect as recipient of the knowledge of what is to be, while the Pen is the primordial light in its active aspect of writing this knowledge on the Guarded Tablet at Allah’s command. "The first thing that Allah created was the Pen and He said to it: Write! So it wrote what is to be forever."[4] From this First light all of creation, with all its varied forms and meanings till the end of time unfolds.

This primordial light is what is called the Light of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, since he is the created being who received the major share of it.

This light was also the origin of the lights of all other Divine Messengers, of the angels, then of all other beings. This is how the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, could say, "I was a Prophet when Adam was still between spirit and body."[5] The power of this light made the Prophet’s radiation so powerful, once he appeared on earth, that Allah calls him in the Qur’ān "an illuminating lamp." Allah describes the sun and the moon in the Qur’ān in like manner explaining what He means when He says that He made the Prophet "an illuminating lamp". He says, Exalted is He:

"Have you not seen how Allah created seven heavens, one upon another, and set the moon therein for a light and the sun for a lamp?"[6] Here he calls the sun a lamp, since its light is self generating, but He calls the moon a light, since it but reflects the light of the sun. He also says: " . . . and We appointed a blazing lamp . . . "[7] The sun’s light being extremely hot, and, "Blessed is He who has set in the sky constellations and has set among them a lamp and an illuminating moon,"[8] emphasizing that the moon’s light is light with little heat. When He says to His Prophet: " O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good tidings and of warning, as a caller to Allah by His leave and as an illuminating lamp,"[9] we are to understand that He made the Prophet’s light powerful like the sun’s, yet cool and gentle like the moon’s.

Some of the Prophet’s Companions were given to see this light as even brighter than both the sun and moon, for when they walked with him they noticed that he cast no shadow on the ground.[10] Those who saw him in the full moon noticed that his blessed face was brighter than the moon,[11] and one of his Companions, the Lady Rubayyi‘, when asked to describe him, said, "My son, had you seen him, you would have seen the sun shining."[12]

The light of the Prophet shone at all levels, it filled the material, intermediary, and spiritual worlds, dispelled the darkness of ignorance and disbelief, and is destined to shine across the ages till the end of time.

That this light was physical as well as spiritual was borne witness to most amply by those who saw him. The Lady ‘A‘isha related how she saw the whole room fill with light one night, then it disappeared, while the Prophet continued to call upon his Lord. Then the room was filled with a more powerful light which disappeared after a while. She asked, "What is this light I saw?" he said, "Did you see it. O ‘A‘isha?" "Yes!" she replied. He said, "I asked my Lord to grant me my nation, so He gave me one third of them, so I praised and thanked Him. Then I asked him for the rest, so He gave me the second third, so I praised and thanked Him. Then I asked Him for the third third, so He gave it to me, so I praised and thanked Him." She said that had she wished to pick up mustard seeds from the floor by this light she could have.[13] In the famous description of Hind ibn Abi Hala, the Prophet’s stepson from the Lady Khadija, "He was dignified and awe inspiring, radiant like the radiance of the moon on the night it is full…"[14] Ibn ‘Abbas described how he saw light shining from between his front teeth.[15] Abu Qursafa, as a boy, went to swear allegiance to the Prophet, together with his mother and her sister. When they returned home they told him, " My son, we have never seen the like of this man, nor anyone better looking, cleaner dressed, or gentler in his speech; and we saw as if light came out of his mouth." [16]

The Companion, Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, described how, when the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, first entered Madina, everything in Madina became illuminated, then how, when he died and was buried in ‘A’isha’s house, the light disappeared. The phenomenon was so sudden that the Companions were taken aback and began to doubt whether they had really seen it at all.[17] This was only the light that radiated from his blessed body, for Madina itself remained the city of Light. Abū Hurayra related how they were once praying the night prayer of ‘isha’ with the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and how the Prophet’s two grandsons, Hasan and Husayn climbed onto his back when he went into prostration. When he was done, he placed one of them on his right and the other on his left. Abu Hurayra asked him, "Shall I take them to their mother?" he replied, "No". Then a flashing light appeared from the sky, at which he said, "go to your mother." The light remained until they reached their house.[18] On another occasion, Anas said that, he accompanied the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, into the mosque where they saw a group of people with their hands raised, calling upon Allah. "Do you see in their hands what I see?" the Prophet asked. "What is in their hands?" Anas replied. "There is light in their hands," replied the Prophet. "Ask Allah the Exalted to show it to me," said Anas. At the Prophet’s request, Allah showed it to him.[19] Another Companion, ‘Amr al-Aslami, said that once they were with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, on a very dark night and lost sight of each other. Suddenly ‘Amr’s fingers shone forth with light so that they were able to round up their mounts and gather again. The light did not subside until they had finished gathering.[20] As for Abu ‘Abs, he used to pray all the ritual prayers with the Prophet, then walk back to his dwelling, at Bani Haritha, a few miles from the mosque. One dark rainy night, as he left the mosque, his staff was made to shine forth with light, so that he was able to walk safely back home.[21] On another occasion, two of the Prophet’s well known Companions, Usayd ibn Hudayr and ‘Abbad ibn Bishr, left the Prophet’s house late on a dark night. The tip of the staff of one of them lit up like a lamp and they were able to walk. When they came to the place where they usually separated, the tip of the other staff lit up as well.[22] Another Companion, al-Tufayl ibn ‘Amr al-Dawsi, related how, after his first visit to the Prophet, when he accepted Islam and was about to return to his tribe, he asked the Prophet for a sign to show to his tribesmen, at which a light shone forth from his forehead. He exclaimed, "Not here, O Messenger of Allah, they will think it a curse!" So the Prophet moved the light to the tip of al- Tufayl’s whip. He returned to his tribe with this sign and most of them accepted Islam.[23]

Ka‘b ibn Zuhayr was a man from Muzayna, a highly talented poet who used his talent against the Prophet and his companions. Once Macca had been conquered, Ka`b became a fugitive, aware that the Prophet had ordered him executed. His brother, Bujayr, was a Muslim. He sent Ka`b a message that he could only save his life if he came to the Prophet repentant. Eventually Ka‘b agreed to this and came to Madina. The Prophet forgave him, accepted his allegiance, and gave him permission to recite the poem Ka`b had composed in his praise. When he came to the passage,

The Messenger is a light that illuminates

An Indian blade, a sword of Allah, drawn

the Prophet took his mantle, his burda, off his shoulders and put it on Ka‘b’s, signalling his approval. The best swords of the time were Indian and the connection between the sword and light is that the Arabs signalled the way by standing on a rise and brandishing their swords in the sun so that they flashed like mirrors.[24]

The light of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, manifested itself in his parents before and during his birth. His biographers have recorded that his father’s forehead shone with a light that a certain women from Quraysh noticed. She knew that the appearance of the Prophet of the End of Time was imminent and felt that ‘Abdallah’s forehead signalled his being the father. She offered herself to him, but he refused. Soon `Abdallah married Amina and, once she became pregnant with the Prophet, the light vanished from his forehead. He met the same woman again and, noticing she no longer wanted him, asked her why. She replied that he no longer carried that light on his forehead.[25] As for the Lady Amina, when she became pregnant, she saw in a dream-vision that a light came out of her that lit the land as far north as Syria.[26] She was also told in her dream that she was pregnant with the master of this nation and the sign of that would be that when she gave birth to him she would see a light coming out with him that would shine over Bosra in Syria. "When this happens", she was told, "call him Muhammad!"[27] "I conceived him, " she said, "and suffered no pain until delivery. When he came out of me, a light came out with him that illuminated everything from East to West…"[28] She also said, "I saw the night I gave birth to him a light that illuminated the palaces of Syria so that I saw them."[29] The Prophet later confirmed this, saying, "My mother saw, when she gave birth to me, a light that illuminated the palaces of Bosra."[30] This event is also a very clear indication of the spiritual rank of the Lady Amina, for to see the palaces of Bosra in Syria from Macca demands the spiritual vision of sanctity. Later, the Prophet’s uncle, ‘Abbas, praised him with a poem, on his return from the Tabuk expedition, saying:

You, when you were born, the earth was lit

And with your light so was the sky

When his wet-nurse, Halima al-Sa‘dia, first saw him, she laid her hand on him and he smiled. "When he smiled," she said, "a light appeared from his mouth that rose to the sky."[32]

Some of the hadiths we have quoted here have strong chains of transmission, others have weaker ones. However, we must remember that even the chain considered weakest by Muslim traditionists, is quite acceptable as historical proof to any professional historian on this planet, being far stronger and better authenticated than other ancient sources he works with. It is also well known that weak traditions strengthen each other so as to become acceptable. This is why those we have quoted here have been accepted by leading scholars such as Ibn Kathir, Suyutiī, Qadi ‘Iyad, Bayhaqi, and others.

Commenting on the verse of Qur’an,"There has come to you a light from Allah and a clear Book,"[33] the well-known scholar al-Alusi says that the light in question is no other than the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He quotes the Follower, Qatada, as an authoritative source for this opinion, as well as other well known scholars, pointing out that this is the most logical interpretation of the construction of the verse, Then he also quotes those whose opinion differs from his in that they believe that both the light and the Book refer to the Qur’an. This he does because real Muslim scholars, as opposed to pretenders and impostors, always quote, along with their own opinions, the contrary opinions of other reputable scholars, so weighing both in the most objective manner. Qadi ‘Iyad, the famous author of al-Shifa’, is of the same opinion as al-Alusi, an opinion, an opinion shared by other famous commentators such as Tabari and Qurtubi.

Although the Prophet’s light is the most powerful in the universe, since he is the nearest created being to Allah, it is not the only one. Angels are made of light, the Qur’an is light, the spirits of human beings are light, faith is light, knowledge is light, the sun, the moon, and the stars are also lights. The light of each human being depends upon his faith, knowledge, and virtue. Thus the most powerful lights are those of Divine Messengers, then those of Prophets, saints, virtuous believers, and finally those of sinful believers. This is the hierarchy of human beings. Both the first and the last are human, all have lights, and all are slaves of Allah, but the distance between the top of the pyramid and its bottom is so great that those at the bottom, in Paradise, will see those at the top as distant as, in this world, we see the stars at night.[34]

NOTES

1. Qur'an (24:35).
2. Tirmidhi.
3. Tirmidhi.
4. Tabarani and Abu Nu'aym.
5. Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Hakim and Bukhari in Tarikh.
6. Qur'an (71:16)
7. Qur'an (78:13)
8. Qur'an (25:61)
9. Qur'an (33:45 - 46)
10. al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi
11. Tirmidhi
12. Tirmidhi
13. Abu Nu'aym in Hilia.
14. Tirmidhi in Shama'il, Bayhaqi, Tabarani, and ibn Sa'd.
15. Tirmidhi in Shama'il, Darimi, Bayhaqi, Tabarani, and ibn Asakir.
16. Tabarani.
17. Ahmad and ibn Majah.
18. Ahmad, Hakim, and Bazar.
19. Bukhari in Tarikh, Bayhaqi and Abu Nu'aym.
20. Bukhari in Tarikh, Bayhaqi and Tabarani.
21. Bayhaqi.
22. Bukhari
23. Ibn Hisham.
24. Ibn Ishaq.
25. Ibn Hisham.
26. Hakim, Ahmad, Bazzar, Tabarani, Bayhaqi and Abu Nu'aym.
27. Ibn Ishaq.
28. Ibn Sa'd, Tabarani, Bayhaqi, Abu Nu'aym, Abu Ya'la, Ibn Ishaq.
29. Abu Nu'aym.
30. Ibn Sa'd, Ahmad, Bazzar, Tabarani, Abu Nu'aym, and ibn Asakir.
31. Hakim and Tabarani.
32. Bayhaqi, Abu Nu'aym, ibn Ishaq and Abu Ya'la.
33. Qur'an (5:15)
34. Tirmidhi.



BIBLIOGRAPHY :



Author : Sayyid Mostafa (M.) al-Badawi (PhD)

Copyright : © Sayyid Mostafa (M.) al-Badawi (PhD)

Retrieved from : Mas'ud Ahmad Khan's Web Presence




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-08/11/2007

PROPHET NABI MUHAMMAD RASULULLAH S.A.W. LAST SERMON

AMONG THE IMPORTANT CONTENTS FROM - THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD RASULULLAH S.A.W.'s LAST SERMON

(Among the contents extracted from the last Sermon delivered by Rasulullah SAW on the Ninth Day of Zulhijjah 10 AH at the Uranah Valley of Mount Arafah)

In the Name of Allah Most Beneficient and Most Merciful

O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take this words to those who could not be present here today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be repealed.

Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, as much as you have your rights over your women, they too have their rights over you. If they have fulfilled your rights then they too deserve the rights to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and comitted helpers. And your rights over them are to disallow anyone you dislike into your houses and you are forbidden to commit adultery.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, perform the five daily prayers (Solah), fast during the month of Ramadhan, perform Zakat from your wealth, perform Hajj if you can afford to. Know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. (All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white) You are all equal. Nobody is more superior than the other except in piety and good action.

Remember, that one day you will appear before Allah and be accountable for every deed you have committed. So beware, do not ever be lead astrayed from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, No Prophet or Apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Therefore, O People, reason well, understand my words which I have conveyed to you. I leave behind two things; which if you hold to both strongly, forever, you will never be lead astrayed. That is - the QUR'AN and my SUNNAH (examples)

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me direcly. I bear witness O Allah that I have conveyed Your Message to Your people.
------------------------
Taken from geocities.com/pgssajkm/home.html with thanks

Hadits Qudsi

SOURCE

Hadits Qudsi: Muhammad is the One Who will Guide Us

On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:

The believers will gather together on the Day of Resurrection and will say: Should we not ask [someone] to intercede for us with our Lord?

So they will come to Adam and will say: You are the Father of mankind; Allah created you with His hand He made His angels bow down to you and He taught you the names of everything, so intercede for us with you Lord so that He may give us relief form this place where we are.

And he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his wrongdoing and will feel ashamed and will say: Go to Noah, for he is the first messenger that Allah sent to the inhabitants of the earth.

So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his having requested something of his Lord about which he had no [proper] knowledge (Quran Chapter 11 Verses 45-46),

and he will feel ashamed and will say: Go to the Friend of the Merciful (Abraham). So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Moses, a servant to whom Allah talked and to whom He gave the Torah.

So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention the talking of a life other that for a life (Quran Chapter 28 Verses 15-16),

and he will fell ashamed in the sight of his Lord and will say: Go to Jesus, Allah's servant and messenger, Allah's word and spirit.

So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a servant to whom Allah has forgiven all his wrongdoing, past and future.

So they will come to me and I shall set forth to ask permission to come to my Lord, and permission will be given, and when I shall see my Lord I shall prostrate myself.

He will leave me thus for such time as it pleases Him, and then it will be said [to me]: Raise your head. Ask and it will be granted. Speak and it will be heard. Intercede and your intercession will be accepted. So I shall raise my head and praise Him with a form of praise that He will teach me. Then I shall intercede and HE will set me a limit [as to the number of people], so I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return to Him, and when I shall see my Lord [I shall bow down] as before. Then I shall intercede and He will set me a limit [as to the number of people]. So I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return for a third time, then a fourth, and I shall say: There remains in Hell-fire only those whom the Quran has confined and who must be there for eternity.

There shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a barley-corn; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a grain of wheat; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing an atom.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah).
---------------------------------

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:

Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has supernumerary angels who rove about seeking out gatherings in which Allah's name is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other, fillin that which is between them and between the lowest heaven. When [the people in the gathering] depart, [the angels] ascend and rise up to heaven. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h.) said: Then Allah (mighty and sublime be He) asks them - [though] He is most knowing about them: From where have you come? And they say: We have come from some servants of Yours on Earth: they were glorifying You (Subhana llah), exalting you (Allahu akbar), witnessing that there is no god but You (La ilaha illa llah), praising You (Al-Hamdu lillah), and asking [favours] of You. He says: And what do they ask of Me? They say: They ask of You Your Paradise. He says: And have they seen My Paradise? They say: No, O Lord. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Paradise! They say: And they ask protection of You. He says: From what do they ask protection of Me? They say: From Your Hell-fire, O Lord. He says: And have they seen My Hell-fire? They say: NO. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire: They say: And they ask for Your forgiveness. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: Then He says: I have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for,and I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: They say: O Lord, among then is So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with them. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: And He says: And to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not suffer.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i).
---------------------------------
Hadits Qudsi : Reciting the Essence of the Quran in Shalat

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:

A prayer performed by someone who has not recited the Essence of the Quran (1) during it is deficient (and he repeated the word three times), incomplete. Someone said to Abu Hurayrah: [Even though] we are behind the imam? (2) He said: Recite it to yourself, for I have heard the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be up on him) say: Allah (mighty and sublime be He), had said: I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says: Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-alamin (3), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has praised Me. And when he says: Ar-rahmani r-rahim (4), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has extolled Me, and when he says: Maliki yawmi d-din (5), Allah says: My servant has glorified Me - and on one occasion He said: My servant has submitted to My power. And when he says: Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka nasta in (6), He says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. And when he says: Ihdina s-sirata l- mustaqim, siratal ladhina an amta alayhim ghayril-maghdubi alayhim wa la d-dallin (7), He says: This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.

Surat al-Fatihah, the first surah (chapter) of the Qur'an.
i.e. standing behind the imam (leader) listening to him reciting al-Fatihah.
"Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds."
"The Merciful, the Compassionate".
"Master of the Day of Judgement".
"It is You we worship and it is You we ask for help".
"Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favors, not of those against whom You are angry, nor of those who are astray".
It was related by Muslim (also by Malik, at-Tirmidhi, Abu-Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

Ilmu-ilmu hadis Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fathani

UTUSAN MALAYSIA - BICARA AGAMA - ARKIB : 18/08/2008
Koleksi tulisan Allahyarham WAN MOHD. SHAGHIR ABDULLAH (Al-Fatihah)

SEBAGAIMANA al-Quran dengan kepelbagaian ilmunya, demikian juga halnya dengan hadis yang sangat banyak ilmu yang tertakluk dengannya. Di antara ilmu-ilmu itu ialah Ilmu Mushtalahul Hadis, Ilmu Dirayah Hadis dan Ilmu Rijal Hadis. Selain penghafal hadis dengan jumlah yang banyak, Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani juga telah khatam pengajian ilmu-ilmu hadis terutama kitab-kitab dalam lingkungan Ahlus Sunni. Beliau belajar semua disiplin ilmu yang ada dalam persekitaran hadis.

Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani telah memperoleh sanad musalsal yang dianggap penting dalam ilmu hadis. Dalam umur masih muda, Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani telah menguasai ilmu-ilmu hadis. Ini terbukti apabila beliau telah diberikan ijazah oleh dua orang gurunya di Madinah pada tahun 1319 H/1901 M.

Ijazah hadis yang pertama diberikan oleh Saiyid Muhammad Ali bin Saiyid Zhahir al-Watri al-Hanafi pada tarikh 26 Rejab 1319 H/1901 M dan ijazah hadis yang kedua diberikan oleh Saiyid Abdul Qadir as-Syibli at-Tharablusi as-Syami al-Hanafi. Kedua-dua ulama itu adalah ulama besar ahli hadis pada zaman itu yang mengajar di Masjid Nabawi, Madinah.

Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani juga menyusun kitab mengenai hadis dalam bahasa Arab dan bahasa Melayu. Yang bahasa Arab masih dalam bentuk manuskrip, manakala dalam bahasa Melayu yang pernah diterbitkan di antaranya ialah Bisyarah al-‘Amilin wa Nazarah al-Ghafilin. Dalam karya beliau Hadiqatul Azhar war Rayahin juga banyak terdapat hadis dan terjemahannya.

Selain itu, sekurang-kurangnya ada tiga kitab yang membicarakan hadis dalam bahasa Melayu telah ditashhih oleh Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani. Pada ketiga-tiga karya tersebut, terdapat puisi beliau yang ditulis dalam bahasa Arab dan bahasa Melayu. Kitab-kitab yang dimaksudkan ialah Kasyful Ghummah karya Sheikh Daud bin Abdullah al-Fathani, Al-Jauharul Mauhub karya Sheikh Wan Ali bin Abdur Rahman Kutan, al-Kalantani dan Al-Kaukabud Durriy karya Sheikh Muhammad bin Ismail al-Fathani.

Sebelum membicarakan puisi-puisi Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani pada kitab-kitab yang tersebut, penulis senaraikan sanad lengkap beliau dalam bidang ilmu hadis yang khusus mengenai kitab-kitab hadis shahih. Sanad yang dimaksudkan adalah:

*Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani, belajar kepada:

*Saiyid Ahmad bin Zaini Dahlan, belajar kepada:

*Maulana Sheikh Utsman bin Hasan ad-Dimyathi al Azhari, belajar kepada:

*Ramai ulama, yang paling terkenal dan banyak disebut ada tiga orang, iaitu: Sheikh Abdullah bin Hijazi asy-Syarqawi, Sheikh Muhammad al-Amir al-Kabir, dan Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali asy-Syanwani. Khusus sanad daripada Allamah Sheikh Abdullah bin Hijazi asy-Syarqawi, belajar kepada:

*Allamah asy-Syamsu Muhammad Salim al-Hifni, belajar kepada:

*Allamah Abdul Aziz az-Ziyadi, belajar kepada:

*Asy-Syamsu Muhammad bin al-Alauddin al-Babli, belajar kepada:

* Sheikh Salim bin Muhammad as-Sanhuri, belajar kepada:

*An-Najmu Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Ghaithi, belajar kepada:

*Sheikh al-Islam Zakaria bin Muhammad al-Anshari, belajar kepada:

*Al-Hafiz asy-sheikh Ahmad bin Ali bin Hajar al-Asqallani, belajar kepada:

*Abi Ishaq Ibrahim bin Ahmad at-Tanukhi, belajar kepada:

*Abi al-Abbas Ahmad bin Abi Thalib al-Hajjar, belajar kepada:

*Al-Husein bin al-Mubarak az-Zabidi al-Hanbali, belajar kepada:

*Abi al-Waqti Abdul Awwal ibnu Isa as-Sijzi, belajar kepada:

*Abi al-Hasan Abdur Rahman bin Muzhaffar bin Daud ad-Dawudi, belajar kepada:

*Abi Muhammad Abdullah bin Ahmad as-Sarakhsi, belajar kepada:

*Abi Abdullah Muhammad bin Yusuf bin Mathar al-Farabri, belajar kepada:

*Muallif Sahih Bukhari, al-Imam al-Hafizh al-Hujjah Abi Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismail bin Ibrahim al-Bukhari.

Berikut pula disertakan puisi-puisi Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani dalam ketiga-tiga kitab yang disebutkan.

Adapun puisi-puisi tersebut tidak disertakan bersama syarahnya, seperti mana yang terkandung dalam kitab. Mengenai syarah-syarahnya dapat dirujuk melalui kitab-kitab tersebut atau buku penulis berjudul Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani: Pemikir Agung Melayu dan Islam, Jilid 2, yang dimulai halaman 231.

Puisi pada kitab Kasyful Ghummah karya Sheikh Daud Abdullah al-Fathani

Puisi Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani yang menerangkan mengenai kitab Kasyful Ghummah terdapat pada cetakan pertama kitab tersebut oleh Mathba’ah al-Miriyah al-Kainah, Mekah pada tahun 1303 H. Transliterasinya adalah sebagai yang berikut:

“Puji bagi Tuhan,

yang menjadikan mawa’izh itu tazkirah lil ummah

Dan dibukakan dengan dia daripada mereka itu

yang menerimanya akan ghummah

Dan shalawat dan salam atas Nabi

al-Hadi ila Rasyad

Dan atas keluarganya dan tolannya

syufa’ana yaumal ma’ad

Wa ba’du,

Maka telah sempurnalah ini kitab yang mustathab

Yang padanya

Hudanl lil muttaqin wa zikra li ulil al-bab

Sungguhnya telah disebutkan padanya

Akhbarut tifaf as-saq bis-saq

Dan ahwal pada hari yang padanya

ila rabbikal masaq

Dan dicetera padanya akan segala

yang menakuti daripada ahwal al-jahim

Dan dinazham pada suluk asrarnya akan segala

lu’lu’ akhbar jannatin na’im

Dan lain daripada ahwal yang barzakhiyah

Dan segala pekerjaan yang ukhrawiyah

Barang yang sayogianya mengambil ibarat

dengan dia oleh ‘aqilun

Dan hendaklah beramal bagi seumpama tsawab

yang tersebut padanya oleh ’amilun

Dan adalah hamba muqabalahkan pada tashhihnya

dengan Mukhtashar asy-Sya’rani

bagi asalnya yang Arabi

Iaitu at-Tazkirat al-Qurthubiyah

Dan hamba tashlihkan setengah daripada

barang yang zhahir padanya tahrif,

maka jadilah ia bersih seolah-olah

Ia-ali manzumah

atawa sabaik zahabiyah

Dan adalah capnya pada al-Mathba’ah al-Miriyah,

yang pada Makkah al-Mahmiyah

Dan selesainya pada pertengahan Syawal,

sanah 1303 Hijrah an-Nabi Shallallahu alaihi

wa sallam,

wa ‘ala alihi wa shahbihi wa syarafi wa karam


Puisi pada kitab Al-Jauharul Mauhub karya Sheikh Wan Ali Kutan al-Kalantani

Pada kitab Al-Jauharul Mauhub wa Munabbihatul Qulub karya Sheikh Wan Ali bin Abdur Rahman bin Abdul Ghafur Kutan al-Kalantani, terdapat puisi Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani yang digubah dalam bentuk sastera Arab yang terdiri daripada 27 bait. Tiap-tiap satu bait dua baris, dua baris. Selain itu, terdapat juga puisi beliau yang digubah dalam bahasa Melayu. Puisi yang digubah dalam bahasa Melayu transliterasinya adalah sebagai yang berikut:

“Puji itu bagi Allah,

yang dengan kurnia-Nya

sempurna segala yang dituntuti

Dan rahmat dan sejahtera

atas afdal segala Nabi yang diikuti

Dan atas kelurganya dan taulannya

yang semulia-mulia mereka itu,

yang dengan kepujiannya disebuti

Kemudian daripada itu,

Maka dengan pertolongan

Tuhan al-Malikul Wahhab

Dan dengan kemegahan

Penghulu kita an-nathiqu bish-shawab

Telah sempurnalah ini kitab yang mustathab

Yang ialah bagi segala hati yang lalai itu,

sebesar-besar cerca dan 'itab

Yang menyaksi akan dia

oleh al-Muqarrabun

khitamuhu miskun dan pada

falyatanafasil mutanafisun

Yang dinamakan dia

dengan al-Jauharul Mauhub

Iaitu kitab yang terpenuh

dengan guna-gunaan yang mathlub

Dan indah-indahan yang padanya marghub

Daripada ahadits Nabawiyah

Dan atsar Salafiyah

Dan fawaid yang ’ajibah

Dan faraid yang gharibah

Dan asrar yang lami’ah

Dan akhbar yang jami’ah

Dan nashaih dan mawa’izh yang mufidah

Dan ma’arif dan ‘ulum ‘adidah

Maka ialah,

Langit segala bintang yang ’alaih

Dan laut segala mutiara yang ghaliyah

Dan kebun segala bunga-bungaan yang bahiyah

Dan pokok segala buah-buahan yang syahiyah

Ta’lif guru yang a’zham

bagi segala guru yang masyhur

Maka dialah matahari ilmu

dan mereka itu budur

Al-‘Allamah al-‘Amil

wa al-Fadhil al-Kamil

Tuan Sheikh Wan Ali Kutan al-Kalantan

Ibnu al-Marhum Wan Abdur Rahman

Ibnu Abdul Ghafur afadhallahu Taala alaihi

sawabighul judi wal ihsan”


Puisi pada kitab Al-Kaukab Ad-Durriy karya Sheikh Muhammad Bin Ismail Daud Al-Fathani

Kitab yang akan dibicarakan

ini bukanlah kitab khusus membicarakan hadis seperti dua

kitab yang telah dibicarakan. Namun disebabkan cerita-cerita di dalamnya lebih banyak bersumber daripada hadis, maka dikategorikan

di bawah judul Puisi Sheikh

Ahmad Al-Fathani Pada Kitab-Kitab Hadis.

Kitab ini dengan judul lengkapnya Al-Kaukabud Durriy fin Nuril Muhammadiyi, adalah merupakan karya ulama dunia Melayu yang terkenal, iaitu Sheikh Muhammad bin Ismail Daudy al-Fathani, atau digelar juga dengan Sheikh Nik Mat Kecik al-Fathani.

Kitab yang bercorak

sastera

Islam Melayu klasik ini telah ditashhih oleh Sheikh Ahmad al-Fathani, dan padanya terdapat puisi beliau yang ditulis dalam bahasa Arab dan bahasa Melayu. Puisi yang digubah dalam bahasa Melayu transliterasinya adalah sebagai yang berikut:

Wa ba’du,

Maka telah selesailah thaba’ ini kitab

yang mengandung akan beberapa banyak ajaib

Yang menyatakan daripada

ahwal bahamut,

dan malakut,

dan ‘azhamut,

akan badai’ dan gharaib

Maka seyogialah,

bagi segala mata,

bahawa berkuhul ia,

dengan itsmid muthala’ahkan ibaratnya

Dan bagi segala telinga,

bahawa berlazat-lazat ia,

dengan halawah mendengarkan hikayatnya.

Yang diisnadkan sekaliannya,

kepada tsiqat al-ulama zawit tahqiq

Maka lazimlah atas segala hati,

bahawa ada ia baginya Aba Bakar as-Shiddiq

Dan sesungguhnya,

jikalau dituliskan risalah ini,

atas shafaih al-fiddah dengan ma’ az-zahab

niscaya berpatutanlah demikian itu,

dengan mahasinnya yang indah lagi ‘ajab

'Every human being is created upon 360…(joints?)'

SOURCE

Prepared by the Research Committee of IslamToday.net under the supervision of Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayri

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Every human being from Adam's descendants was created upon 360 mafsil. So whoever magnifies Allah, praises Him, declares Allah's oneness, glorifies Him, seeks His forgiveness, (and likewise whoever) removes a stone, thorns, or a bone from a footpath, or calls to what is right, or forbids what is wrong, will have it counted for him to the number of those 360 digitals. Indeed, he walks that day and removes himself away from Hell." [Sahîh Muslim (1675)]

This hadîth has been causing a lot of unnecessary confusion and debate in recent years. This has been the case ever since the Arabic word mafsil was defined in Arabic medical books as corresponding precisely with the English word "joint" as it is defined in the field of anatomy.

As a consequence, people began to seek anatomical lessons from the hadîth. Some people argued that we need to believe the human being has 360 joints – as defined by modern medical terminology – regardless of what empirical observations might tell us. Other people sought to find a "scientific miracle" in the hadîth by "proving" that the human body does indeed contain 360 joints as defined by the field of anatomy or some tailor-made definition.

Even the enemies of Islam have gotten into the act. They set about trying to cast doubt on Islam through demonstrating that the body does not have 360 joints – again according to some particular, contemporary definition of the word "joint".

What we all must realize is that when an anatomist determines that a human being has a certain number of "joints" in her body, she is using a term that has a particular definition in her field of expertise. This definition may not necessarily coincide with the meaning intended by the Arabic word mafsil in a hadîth text of 1400 years ago.

This is further complicated by the fact that the same concept is referred to later in the hadîth as "those 360 digitals". The Arabic word here is sulâmâ, which usually refers to the digital bones of the hand and foot. This implies the number of bones more that it does the number of joints. What it tells us for certain is that the intended meaning of mafsil in the hadîth is clearly different from how the English word "joint" is defined in contemporary anatomy.

There is absolutely no reason to assume that the intended meaning of the word mafsil in the hadîth would just happen to coincide with the definition of "joint" in a modern medical textbook. It is wrong to impose this or any other particular, terminological meaning upon the Arabic word in the hadîth. There are many ways that the word mafsil can be understood in the hadîth while still taking the hadîth on its literal, apparent meaning.

This kind of textual uncertainty is one of the major reasons why the popular tendency today of interpreting the Qur'ân and Sunnah in so-called "scientific" terms is ill-advised.

The English word "joint", as an anatomical term, is the location at which two or more bones come together.

Joints, furthermore, are classified anatomically into simple and compound, depending on the number of bones involved, and into complex and combination joints:
1. Simple joint: 2 articulation surfaces (shoulder joint, hip joint…)

2. Compound joint: 3 or more articulation surfaces (radiocarpal joint…)

3. Complex joint: 2 or more articulation surfaces and an articular disc or meniscus (knee joint…)
From this brief exposition, it should be clear that the number of joints in a skeleton does not correlate with the number of articulation surfaces. The number of articulation surfaces would usually be much higher, and this would differ depending on the animal in question.

This shows us one possible ambiguity into the meaning of the hadîth. The Arabic word mafsil can be used linguistically to mean "articulation" in a very loose sense, even though today its usage has been normalized in the field of anatomy to specifically mean "the location at which two or more bones come together ". It was not restricted to that narrow meaning 1400 years ago.

There are other possibilities for the meaning of mafsil in the hadîth. For instance, it might refer to the number of ranges of motion the human body is capable of. This dynamic understanding of the word is a perfectly sensible one in the context of the hadîth, since the topic of the hadîth is our actions and how Allah rewards us for our good deeds. The hadîth is not discussing a topic of anatomy, but rather one of worship.

This leads to a totally different calculation, since some joints are immovable, others are slightly movable, whole still others are freely movable. Understandably, calculating the number of possible motions would be highly subjective, depending on the criteria used to define a motion.

What matters, with respect to our understanding of the hadîth, is that Allah rewards us for our deeds many times over, and this correlates in some way to an aspect of how He created our functioning bodies. The hadîth is telling us about a matter of the Unseen – Allah's great generosity, mercy, and reward – and not a matter of anatomy.

And Allah knows best.

----------------------------
“Religion is Sincerity”
Islamtoday.Com

Abû Ruqayyah Tamîm b. `Aws al-Dârî relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Religion is Sincerity.”

We asked: “To whom, O Messenger of Allah?”

He said: “To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and the leaders of the Muslims and to the common Muslim.” [Sahîh Muslim]

The meaning of ‘Religion is sincerity’:

The terms in both the subject and the predicate of this sentence are categorical. This conveys in Arabic an all-inclusive meaning. It is as if the Prophet (peace be upon him) had said: “Religion is naught but sincerity.”

This is a very weighty statement showing the importance of sincerity in Islam. It brings us immediately to ask the question that the Companions asked: Sincerity to whom? The Prophet (peace be upon him) responded by mentioning five things to which Muslims must be sincere. We shall briefly touch upon each of these.

Sincerity to Allah:

Being sincere to Allah is of paramount importance in Islam. There are two aspects to this sincerity. The first of these is sincerity in worship. We must worship Allah alone, offering all of our devotions to him and to no other. The second is sincerity in our belief. We must have absolute faith that Allah alone is our Creator, our Sustainer, and our Lord.

Allah says: “They were not commanded but that they should worship Allah sincerely and worship none but Him, and that they should perform prayer and pay Zakâh. That is the right religion.” [Sûrah Al-Bayyinah: 5]

Sincerity to His Book:

Sincerity to Allah’s Book comprises a number of ideas. We must believe in what the Qur’ân tells us and doubt nothing that it says. We must know that the Qur’ân is Allah’s word that was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Likewise, we must submit to Allah’s commands found within it and guide our lives by its teachings. We must believe that the laws enumerated in the Qur’ân are the best of laws that can never be rivaled by man-made laws.

Another aspect of this sincerity is to come to the defense of the Qur’ân from those who would aspire to corrupt, abuse, and misinterpret it with their tongues. Allah has taken the preservation of the Qur’ân upon Himself. However, this does not mean that people will not try to misrepresent it and corrupt how people approach it and understand it.

Sincerity to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him):

We must have unwavering faith that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is indeed the Messenger of Allah and that everything that he tells us is true. We must obey him in all of his commands and prohibitions. We must know that everything that comes to us by way of the Prophet (peace be upon him) comes from Allah, for Allah informs us: “He does not speak of his own accord. It is but revelation that is revealed to him.” [Sûrah al-Najm: 3-4]

Allah equates obeying the Messenger (peace be upon him) to belief when He says: “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey His Messenger” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 59]

Obedience to the Messenger (peace be upon him) is obedience to Allah. Allah says: “Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 80]

He also says: “Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it.” [Sûrah al-Hashr: 7]

Sincerity to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) also includes coming to his defense. During his lifetime, this meant literally defending him and physically standing by his side. Today, it means to defend his honor from those who malign it and his Sunnah from those who would disparage it or corrupt it.

Sincerity to the leaders of the Muslims:

There are two classes of people being referred to here. The first are the scholars whose duty is to know the religion, put it into practice, and teach it to the people. The second are the Muslim rulers whose duty is to carry out the Law of Islam.

Sincerity to the scholars entails loving them, respecting them, and helping them to propagate the faith. It also includes learning from them and benefiting from their knowledge. Sincerity to the scholars, however, does not mean to follow them blindly. If we find that we disagree with a scholar on a matter, we should seek out the evidence for what he says. Then, if we find that he is correct, we should follow him and if we find that he is mistaken, we should inform him respectfully of his error without disparaging him or belittling his knowledge.

Sincerity to the scholars also includes being careful of the statements and opinions that we attribute to them so that we do not falsely attribute to them anything that they did not say.

Sincerity to the Muslim rulers entails loving the righteous and just people among them. It also means to recognize the leadership of those in authority and to love that there is solidarity to among Muslims in their support and to hate disunity and dissention. It means to obey them in everything that entails no disobedience to Allah and to hate those who rise up against them.

Allah says: “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey His Messenger and those in authority among you.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 59]

We must obey the Muslim rulers in everything that does not entail disobedience to Allah, and we must refrain from rising up against them even if they fall short of what is expected from them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There will be rulers over you. You will agree with some of what they come with and reject some of it. Whoever rejects what must be rejected will maintain his innocence and whoever hates it will maintain his innocence. However, those who accept (what should be denied) and follow the ruler will be sinners.”

The Companions said: “O Messenger of Allah, shall we fight these rulers?”

He said: “No, as long as they pray.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The best among your Imams (rulers) are those whom you love and they love you, pray (make supplication) for you and

Shahadah: the statement of faith

ADAPTED FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Shahadah: the statement of faith

"There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (pbuh) is The Messenger of Allah"

This is the basic statement of the Islamic faith: anyone who cannot recite this wholeheartedly is not a Muslim.

When a Muslim recites this they proclaim:

1) That Allah is the only God, and that Muhammad is his prophet
2) That they personally accept this as true
3) That they will obey all the commitments of Islam in their life
4) Reciting this statement three times in front of witnesses is all that anyone need do to become a Muslim.

A Muslim is expected to recite this statement out loud, with total sincerity, fully understanding what it means.

The Arabic can be transliterated into the Roman alphabet like this:

Ashhadu Alla Ilaha Illa Allah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah
Transliteration of the shahadah from the Arabic

I bear witness that There is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (pbuh) is The Messenger of Allah"
-----------------------------------

ORIGINAL SOURCE



On the authority of Abu 'Abd al-Rahman 'Abdullah bin 'Umar bin al-Khattab, radiyallahu 'anhuma, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:

"Islam has been built upon five things - on testifying that there is no god save Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger; on performing salah; on giving the zakah; on Hajj to the House; and on fasting during Ramadhan."

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

Background

This hadith is part of the previous Hadith (2). Most Scholars say that the reason why al-Imam al-Nawawi included this hadith in his collection, even though it seems that it repeats some portions of Hadith 2, is because of the importance of the 5 pillars of Islam.

This Hadith stresses the fundamental aspects of the outward submission to Allah. This submission is based on some pillars, similar to a structure. If a person fulfills these aspects, he has laid a solid foundation for his deen as a 'home'.

The other acts of Islam, which are not mentioned in this hadith, can be taken as fine touches to complete this structure.

If a person fails to fulfill these obligations (building the pillars), then the entire structure of his deen/iman may be threatened. This depends on how much is being violated - e.g. violation of the shahadah is the most dangerous.

lessons

The use of metaphors and similes

This hadith uses a metaphor (i.e. the image of the structure of a building) to affirm certain important meanings. This use of metaphors and similes can be found in many Surahs in the Quran and in many other hadiths. For example:

In Surah At-Taubah (9): ayat 109, a similar metaphor is used - the structure of the Mua'min's deen/iman is based on a sound foundation, whereas the structure of the deen of the Munafiq is based on weak ground which may lead to the collapse of the structure, resulting in the Munafik entering the Hellfire.

Surah An-Nur (24): ayat 35, uses the metaphor of light as the light of guidance in the heart of the Mua'min.

A metaphor used to condemn those who fail to fulfill the amanah (i.e. religious obligations) can be found in Surah Al-Jumu'ah (62): ayat 5. The Bani Israel, having failed to obey Allah's commandments in the Taurah, are described as a donkey which is burdened with heavy books on its back but doesn't understand anything from them. Scholars have said that this metaphor also applies to other nations, which fail to fulfill their amanah.

In one hadith the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, divided the status of his ummah into three categories: those who benefit from the Message, those who benefit partially and those who fail to benefit at all. He, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, used the metaphor of rain (as the Message) falling down on different types of land, producing different results.

Using metaphors to convey the Message is a very important 'tool' and it is the methodology used in the Quran and by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. There are many modes of expression used in the Quran and Hadith and they are used for different purposes. E.g. Dealing with the misconceptions and false assumptions of the disbelievers, the Quran and Hadith use rational thinking. When describing Jannah and the Hellfire, the style used by the Quran and Hadith is the visual mode of expression - they are described in such detail that it is like we can actually visualize Jannah or the Hellfire in front of us.

One of the Sahabahs said that he had already seen Jannah and the Hellfire. The other Sahabahs were puzzled and asked him how this could be so as nobody is able to see them until the Hereafter. He replied, "I saw them through the eyes of the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. If I were to be given the chance to see Jannah and the Hellfire with my own eyes, I would not trust my sight. I trust the eyes of the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, more than I trust my own eyes." Here we can conclude that if we read and understand the Quran and the Hadiths we too can visualize the paradise and the Hellfire.

These modes of expression (thinking styles) used by the Quran and Hadith should be well understood and used by Muslims today to convey the Message of Islam when doing da'wah as it is the most effective way. Different styles should be used to reach/convince different people - some people are more emotional, some are more rational, etc.

First Pillar : The Shahadah

The first part of the Shahadah is testifying that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. There are seven conditions of the Shahadah:

1) Knowledge - to understand what it means
2) Certainty - to have no doubt about anything confirmed in the Quran or Sunnah
3) Acceptance - by the tongue and the heart of whatever the Shahadah implies
4) Submission/compliance - the actual physical enactment by deeds
5) Truthfulness - to say the Shahadah sincerely, with honesty, to actually mean it
6) Sincerity - to do it solely for the sake of Allah
7) Love - to love the Shahadah and to love its implications and requirements and what it stands for

The Shahadah is not simply saying it with our tongue. We need to adhere to these conditions. If we say the Shahadah sincerely and with honesty, we will not do anything which contradicts with or violates the Shahadah.

The second part of the Shahadah carries the following conditions:

1) To believe in the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, and in whatever he told us and conveyed to us
2) To obey him in whatever he commanded us to do
3) To stay away from or avoid whatever he commanded us not to do
4) To follow or emulate him in our ibadah, akhlaq and way of life
5) To love him more than we love ourselves, our family and anything else in this world
6) To understand, practice and promote his Sunnah in the best way possible, without creating any chaos, enmity or harm

SILAT MELAYU BLOG - WALLPAPER

FROM SILAT MELAYU BLOG - MOHD NADZRIN



27 June 2008

Silat Melayu Wallpaper

The above wallpaper was designed by a regular reader of Silat Melayu: The Blog, Mohd Fairuzuddin Faizan b. Mohd Yusoff the President of the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak chapter of Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia.

The wallpaper depicts a Silat Seni Gayong grappling technique and includes a pantun from Poknik, also a regular visitor here. His pantun has appeared in this blog here. We thank Fairuzuddin for sharing this cool piece of work with us and hope to hear more from him. Thanks!

(click on the picture above to download the full-sized wallpaper).

Posted by Mohd Nadzrin Wahab at 3:19 PM