Usrah @ CaMaR: January 2005

CaMaR : A Journey to be better muslims

Please leave a comment, so far 15 comments Published Sunday, January 30, 2005 by Umm Hajar.

:: Reflections on Jan 17, 2005 ::

Bismillah ..
Apa yang dapat anda bayangkan bila berada di dalam situasi yang totally out of your control? Terpusing, terbalik, terhentak, di hujung nyawa?

Panik? kelam kabut? gelabah? resah? risau?sedih?blur?

Siapa yang kita ingat masa tu?

Mak? Ayah? Kawan? Tuhan?

Apa yang kita lakukan?

Menjerit? Pengsan? Tutup mata? Mengucap?

Kadang-kadang, sesuatu yang terjadi tanpa kita jangka akan melahirkan respons spontan. Bayangkan pada masa kecemasan dan nyawa-nyawa ikan tersebut kita panik sampai tak dapat nak fikir apa-apa. Meaning, lupa nak ambil kesempatan untuk mengucap di saat-saat genting, yang mungkin juga saat-saat akhir.

Kita dapat reflect hati kita terpaut lebih ke mana, tahap kesabaran yang kita ada bagai mana, dan bagaimana rasanya bila maut begitu hampir.

Moga kita semua beroleh manfaat dari setiap apa yang terselit dari segala peristiwa, suka atau duka. Lebih tabah dan lebih bijak mempersiapkan diri, adil dalam memilih antara kasih Ilahi atau kasih duniawi, menentukan antara dua destinasi : jannah atau nar.

Please leave a comment, so far 0 comments Published Wednesday, January 19, 2005 by taufiq.

::Reflections on the Tsunami: By Imam Zaid Shakir ::

Wa'l 'Asr Innal Insana lafi Khusr…[1]
By the testimony of time, surely humankind is in a state of loss…

The exegetes mention that the testimony of time, mentioned in this
verse, refers to the testimony of each era's extraordinary events,
events that indicate the incomparable power of God.[2] In our time we
have seen many such events. The recent tsunami, which devastated
regions in and around the Indian Ocean, is only the latest. Only God
could have ushered the awesome power unleashed by the earthquake that
moved the island of Sumatra 100 feet, yet left it intact. Only God
could have ushered the awesome power to send a wave of water, whose
depth reached from the surface of the water to the ocean floor,
hundreds of miles across the sea at speeds exceeding five hundred
miles an hour. Only God could devise an "early warning system" which
told myriad species of animals to flee to the safety of high ground.
Only God.

Yet many, even some professing faith in Islam, having seen such an
awesome display of God's power, question His Wisdom. Why must our
faith be constantly tested? Why did so many unsuspecting people have
to perish? Why were children swept from their mothers' arms? Why such
widespread and apparently wanton destruction? Why, once again, are
Muslims the majority of those suffering from such calamities? Why?

In many instances, for Muslims, such questions may arise from
ignorance of basic religious teachings, and an insufficient knowledge
of Islamic eschatology. Let us endeavor to answer some of the above
questions. Perhaps, by so doing we can see the Wisdom of God as it
manifests itself in events such as the recent tsunami.

This world, as God repeatedly informs us in the Qur'an, is the abode
of trials and tribulations. God says, "He who has created death and
life in order to test which of you is best in deed. He is
overwhelmingly mighty, oft-forgiving."[3] He also says, "We will
surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth,
lives, and the fruit [of your fields and labor]. Give glad tidings to
those who patiently persevere."[4] Similarly, "Do people think that
they will be left alone merely saying, 'We believe!' and not be
tested?"[5] All of these verses emphasize that this world is an abode
of tests. The object of life is not to avoid or deny its tests and
trials, rather to successfully pass them.

Another verse forthrightly presents a fact alluded to in the
above-citations. Namely, the tests in this world will involve what we
refer to as good, and what we refer to as evil. God says in that
regard, "Every soul will experience death, and we will test you with
evil and good, as a trial; and unto us you will return."[6] This verse
makes it clear that God has never promised us a rose garden in this
worldly life. Muslims were never promised that we would win every
battle.[7] We were never promised that our "Ummah" would march
triumphantly through history, in Hegelian or Darwinian fashion,
leaving inferior systems of belief, and societal organization strewn
in our wake. And we were certainly never promised that we, contrary to
the view of some Islamic thinkers, especially those influenced
positivist philosophy,[8] would be able through science to conquer the
forces of nature which have always hung menacingly over the head of
humanity, threatening to forever trap us in the "misery of the human
condition."

The great sage, Ibn 'Ata Allah Sakandari, beautifully captured the
reality of this world, and what our expectations in it should be, when
he said:

Do not find the occurrence of tribulations strange as long as you are
in this worldly abode, for it [the world] has only manifested what it
is fittingly described by, its intrinsic characteristic.[9]

Our living in this world will inevitably bring us tests. Those tests
are subtle and open, they occur in great and small things. Through
these tests, God shows which of us truly believe, and which of us are
empty claimants.[10]

Many think that tests from God are always signs of His wrath. As
Muslims, we believe that the trials afflicting us can be signs of His
Love. God's Messenger informed us:

The magnitude of otherworldly reward is proportionate to the magnitude
of worldly tribulation. When God loves a people, He tries them.
Whoever is content [with God's Decree], will have divine pleasure.
Whoever is displeased [with God's Decree] will have divine wrath.[11]

As the Prophets are the most beloved of humanity with God, it follows
that their tribulations should be greater than those of ordinary
folks. This is indeed the case. The Prophet, Peace and Blessing of God
upon him, was asked, "Which group of people are most severely tested?"
He replied, "The Prophets, then people according to their spiritual
rank. People are tested according to their faith."[12] 'Aisha, God be
pleased with her reported, "I never saw anyone more stricken with pain
than the Messenger of God, Peace and Blessings of God upon him."[13]

Just as God has informed us that tests and tribulations are the nature
of this world, his Messenger, Peace and Blessings of God upon him, has
informed us that those tests will include earthquakes and other
natural disasters. He said, for example:

The hour will not come until knowledge is taken away, earthquakes
become numerous, time passes quickly, tribulations appear, chaos
reigns – that is to say widespread killing; [it will not occur] until
wealth becomes abundant among you, to a point where it is
superfluous.[14]

This particular tradition aptly describes our times. That being the
case, we should view the oftentimes unsettling events transpiring
contemporarily as a fulfillment of what our Prophet, Peace and
Blessings of God upon him, has foretold. The occurrence of these
events should only strengthen our faith, deepen our conviction to
avoid participating in the strife that he predicted, and inspire us to
work to alleviate the suffering of those immediately affected.

Human suffering is real. However, human perseverance, and human
dignity are just as real. They allow us to nobly endure the trials of
this world. As Muslims we are assisted towards this end by our
knowledge that any suffering we experience in this world expiates our
sins. Our Prophet, Peace and blessings of God upon him said, "There is
no calamity that afflicts the Muslim except that for that God expiates
his sins, even [something as slight] as a thorn that pricks him."[15]
He similarly declared, "Nothing afflicts the Muslim, neither fatigue,
pain, anxiety, sadness, injury, nor grief; even the pricking of a
thorn except that for that God expiates some of his sins."[16]

These narrations call our attention to the fact that the believer's
brief stint in this world is a preparation for eternal life. Our
understanding of suffering, justice, the trials of this world, and
many other issues integral to any meaningful assessment of the human
condition, are incomplete and inevitably misleading when they are
divorced from consideration of the next, eternal life. If one's view
of human life is limited to this world, one might easily be led to
view the suffering and travails of this world as manifestations of
injustice or cruelty. However, when one relates those hardships to the
life hereafter, one must confront the question, "How bad can any
suffering in this world be if it opens the door to unimaginable,
eternal good in the life hereafter?"

In conclusion, those who drowned in the tsunami are martyrs. Those who
were crushed by demolished structures are martyrs. Those who will die
of dysentery or cholera will be martyrs. They have all gone on or will
go on to the good God had prepared for them. Our Prophet mentioned in
that regard:

The martyrs are five: One who dies during the plague; one who dies of
dysentery; one who dies by drowning; one who dies in a demolished
structure; and one who dies struggling in the way of God."[17]

Paradise will be theirs. Their cases are closed.

As for us, what will be our case? Will we humble ourselves before the
awesome power of God, or will we continue to display our destructive
hubris? Will we continue to take the blessings of food, clean drinking
water, and shelter for granted, or will we fall unto our knees,
raising our hands to the sky, our eyes flowing over with tears,
thanking God for these blessings from the depth of our hearts? Will we
forget about the suffering victims of the tsunami as soon as the
gatekeepers decide that other stories are more newsworthy and the
images disappear from our televisions, or will we continue our relief
and fundraising efforts? And perhaps most importantly, will we watch
scores of people bury their dead, and continue to neglect preparation
for our own inevitable demise?

Your Brother in Islam,

Imam Zaid Shakir

Zaytuna Institute

Please leave a comment, so far 15 comments Published Sunday, January 16, 2005 by omar.

:: yg sejuk yg suam yg masam2 manis ::

apa? : Usrah Muslimin

kat mana tu?: rumah Syed/Nash/Azam

eh tajuk apa? :: binatang ternak & bayang-bayang & takdir

alhamdullillah, usrah pun kembali..ramai yg hadi w/pun snow dan sejuk di luar...Mula2 kami baca Surah Al Maidah ( hidangan tp mlm tu yg der makan2 spt biasa )..Surah Al Maidah di mulakan dgn cerita binatang2 ternak yg halal di makan. Wah! bersesuaian dgn Raya Korban ( korban turkey? kenapa? x percaya? )....Ni summary bbrp ayat awal dlm surah Al Maidah

halal makan binatang ternak
jgn langgar syiar2 Allah.
jgn makan daging khinzir, yg disembil atas nama selain dr Allah, jgn mengundi nasib dgn anak panah and etc
halal makan makanan yg baik2 dan yg ditangkap oleh binatang buruan

Pastu naqib citer pasal bayang2....mcm mana bayang2 boleh terjadi? sbb ada matahari/cahaya...apa ada pd bayang2...ha...tu nak di story kan...camni...Allah jadi kan bayang2 tu dulu dr matahari......( owh?)...rujuk Al Furqan ayat 45 '...........................Kami jadikan matahari sebagai petunjuk atas bayang2 itu.'

Owh..Allah jadi kan bayang2, then jadikkan Matahari sbb nak manusia berfikir. bahawa Allah yg menjadikan segala sesuatu. Kalau ada umat yg sembah bayang2, tidakkah mereka terfikir bahawa bila matahari/cahaya takder, bayang2 pun hilang? ( owh?...Shikamaru pun x boleh buat jutsu dia...payah tu..)

Teringat kisah kaum Majusi kat Parsi ( skrg kat Iran ), masa kelahiran Nabi..diorg sembah api yg keluar dr perut bumi..api tu pun padam..so? api tu bukanla benda yg berkuasa..Sama juga dgn kisah Nabi Ibrahim....masa dia mencari siapakah tuhan....memula dia igt matahari..pastu bila mlm, matahari tu boleh hilang..pastu bulan pula muncul....so dia igt bulan tu tuhan...pastu bintang2....lama2...Nabi Ibrahim pun penat....sbb semua benda yg dia sembah sentiasa hilang and xder kuasa.....fikirkan!

kemudian kami bincang mengenai takdir...Allah dah tetapkan takdir pd kita and Allah Maha mengetahui semua nya...1)past 2) present 3) future 4) kalau benda ni jadi benda ni pula hasilnya...

kita pun tau..kenapa kita perlu berusaha sbb Allah dah tentukan..tp kita kena refer pd surah Ar'Rad ( guruh) ayat 11 ..yg ertinya ' .....dan Kami tidak akan mengubah nasib sesuatu kaum sehingga mereka mengubah nasib nya'.

sbb kita tak tahu apa berlaku in the future, kita kenala berusaha supaya ia berakhir dgn syurga. Allah dah janji dgn ayat di atas...

Tu shj Usrah kali ni....( akan di edit lagi oleh ahli2....jumpa lagi minggu depan Insya Allah )

Please leave a comment, so far 0 comments Published Friday, January 14, 2005 by omar.

:: usrah muslimin sebelum kelas bermula ::

alhamdulillah, syukur syg pergi vacation dah pon pulang :) . usrah berjln spt biasa dan venue kali ni kat rumah bahagia ..ramai yg dtg...snow pon dah cair lama dah..tajuk mlm tu ialah Zulhijjah....

1. 10 hari yg terawal dlm bln Zulhijjah adalah yg terbaik di kalangan hari, dan 10 malam terakhir dlm bln Ramadhan adalah yg terbaik di antara malam2.. [ Ibn Hajar ]
2. Hari Arafah pd 9 Zulhijjah, then Raya, then hari tashriq pd 11,12,13
3. di galakkan utk melakukkan amalan2...baik
4. sapa2 yg niat qurban tu, x leh potong kuku & cukur rambut pd 10 hari yg terawal tu..

Tu la serba sedikit laporan usrah kali ni

Please leave a comment, so far 1 comments Published Tuesday, January 11, 2005 by Umm Hajar.

Bismillah
:: Are You Ready for The Best Days of the Year ??::

Today - 30 Zulqaedah
Tomorrow!!!!!!!!!! - 1st Zulhijjah

What is it? what to do?
For the answers, click here

Please leave a comment, so far 0 comments Published Thursday, January 06, 2005 by Umm Hajar.

Bismillah
::The Hands and The Feet: Allah's Guidance in Our Personal Movement ::
By Imam Mukhtar Maghroui
at ISNA 40th conference, Chicago

I would be contributing to my own misery if
-I use my eyes to read smth bad
-I use my ears to listen to the flute of shaytan
-I use my hands to do haram things
-I use my feet walking on bad places

Jam'iyah of our Quloob with Allah
-the ultimate focus of desire is to finally stand at the gate of nearness to Allah azzawajall
-nothing matches it! :: a glimpse into jannah.

Jawarih: present the key to our hearts
-if we give the key to shaytan, they'll take the keys and enter the heart
-eg: losing focus in solah(prayer):not mindful with zikr to Allah means that we've given the keys to shaytan

Qalb is meant to be with Allah
-don't give it to anything else
-qalb is a vessel of what we put in there

We don't know what we've missed
-The people of this dunya left the dunya without experiencing the sweetest thing: to be in the zikr of Allah azzawajall

After solah
-one should sit in zikr
-stay constant with this: this along with du'a is the unforgetable moment of solace with Allah

"keep sewing the seeds until a breeze from Allah comes bringing the water and grows the seeds"
-keep on trying, there's a point of time for everything
-when the time comes, be thankful to Allah (don't attribute it to urself - Thank Allah)

Trials
-whether it is a punishment -or- torment -or- upliftment- it depends on how we react to it

Messages
-if we are not sure between the nafs and qalb, choose the shar'ie
-dont despise the rahmah of Allah azzawajall because he is the oft-forgiving
-when we are praying, we are begging at the door of Allah ta'ala
-if Allah loves His 'abd, He wants him/her to stay at the gate of nearness to Him

Allahu ta'ala a'lam

Please leave a comment, so far 0 comments Published Saturday, January 01, 2005 by bintNaim.

::Are YOU Prepared? ::
by Nimao Abdi

Tick tock! Tick tock! Tick tock! Imagine every breath that you take, every step that you walk, every prayer that you perform, every class that you attend, every morning that
you wake up by the will of Allah (SWT), you are getting closer to your death. The minute goes by fast and the hour even faster, and by the time the day is over you look back and wonder what you have accomplished. Days go by, months go by, years go by in this state of heedlessness
and disobedience to Allah (SWT). Brothers and sisters, are we prepared for death? Allah
(SWT) says in the Quran, “Everyone shall taste death…”(3:185). There is no escaping or running away from death. Every single one of us shall die and leave this world behind. There is nothing more certain in this world than death. Al Hasan Al Basri, one of the early scholars, used to say, “I have not seen anything more certain than death except that people treat it as though it is doubt.” A man came to the Prophet (SAW) and said, “O Allah’s Messenger! When will be the Hour? The Prophet (SAW) asked him, ‘What have you prepared for it? “ (Sahih Al Bukhari). Indeed brothers and sisters, this is the question we should be asking ourselves every day. How many of us are prepared for death? How many of us have received the glad tidings of Paradise?
Brothers and sisters, the companions who received glad tidings of Paradise lived their lives as though they were constantly fl eeing from the Hell-fi re. The second khalifah of Islam, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (R), whom the Prophet (SAW) gave the glad tidings of Paradise to, used to live his life worried that he was going to the Hell-fi re. He used to say that if all the people would go to Heaven and only one person would be taken to the Hell-fi re, he would think that he was that one person. Umar (R) wept frequently until the marks of his weeping were left on his face. Umar (R) used to say, “Hold yourself to account, before Allah (SWT) holds you to account. “ He used to question himself before he went to sleep every night saying, “What have I done today?” It was mentioned that Umar (R) would then hit himself for fear that he hadn’t done enough, for fear that he didn’t obey Allah (SWT), for fear that not even two rakaat of Salat were accepted from him. Often, Umar (R) would visit another companion, Hudaifah ibn Al Yamam (R) who had a list of the name of the hypocrites. Subhanallah, Umar (R) would ask Hudaifah (R) if he was on that list. Brothers and sisters, do you know the words that Umar (R) kept repeating on his death bed? He kept repeating these words until the Earth underneath his face became muddy from the tears that he shed from the fear of Allah (SWT): “Woe unto Umar, if Allah (SWT) doesn’t forgive him. Woe unto Umar, if Allah (SWT) doesn’t forgive him.” Brothers and sisters let us wake up and realize that the angel of death is only waiting for the command of Allah (SWT) to take our souls. We don’t know when, we don’t know where, we don’t know how; but one thing is for certain as Allah (SWT) says in the Quran, “And the stupor of death will come in truth: ‘This is what you have been avoiding’” (50:19). On that day, there will be no escape. Let us prepare ourselves now before it’s too late and let us make our good deeds our best friend. Some of us have prayed the ‘janazah’ or funeral prayer. Many of us have lost loved ones. Some of us have even witnessed a burial of a person who not long ago was healthy, walking and talking. Then, suddenly Allah (SWT) took their soul. Brothers and sisters, remember the day that people will be praying the janazah prayer for you. Remember the day when people will witness your burial. Remember the day that you will be left all alone, just you and your deeds in that dark, stuffy, scary grave. Remember the day, brothers and sisters that your family, relatives, and friends will walk away from your grave. That’s it, you are on your own now! You will hear the fading footsteps…tip tap…tip tap…tip tap. In a short while, this will be you. Are you prepared?

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