Munchies : kali ni nasihah dari Ammu Djafer for us all...
9 Rabiul Awwal 1424

The challenge is great, not only of becoming a great muslim. But contributing as best as we can. Without knowledge we cannot contribute or do much.

Allah put you for a reason in this place and this time. If you do not do your best, then you will be responsible. Living in a time when we are told how many “Islams” are there. Ayah and hadith are being interpreted for us. We are being taught of our deen all over again. How long more are we going to be in this condition? Maybe for decades more.

We need to do something. And take things seriously. If we do not do something, siapa yang akan buat anything?

Fear Allah in the way that Muslim intellectuals are behaving.

Whatever topic we choose, make sure we are serious in doing it.

I don’t care how many people come, but I already know the faces that come, but be ready, prepare. Have constructive debates and discussions. We need to develop our mind.

Prepare and study, challenge each other.

Not only learning info but how to think, respond and taking care of issues that happen.

Munchies from Imam Djafer's sirah halaqah :: Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl

What happened to Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl?

His wife came to Rasulullah saw and asked, “If I bring ikrimah, will you give him asylum and promise to please not kill him?” Rasullah saw agreed so she went alone with one servant searching for her husband, trying to trace the steps of her husband.

She went all the way south to Yemen, kat Yemen baru jumpa husband dia. The servant on the way tried to betray the trust by trying to take advantage of her. But she was very wise and calmed him down, give him hopes etc.. until she reached a tribe she told them about the servant and they helped her by imprisoning the servant.

She then resumed her travel, all alone in the dessert. When she reached Yemen, she found that her husband was departing in a ship. She caught him before he left. The captain was a Muslim and he asked Ikrimah, "why don’t you become a muslim?" Ikrimah was like, "What? I was running away from Islam in Makkah and you’re telling me to become Muslim as well??"

It was at this time that she saw her husband, she said, "Ikrimah, let’s go back"

"Where? To Muhammad? He will kill me!"

"No, I already made a pact with him. He will not kill you."

Along the way, he wanted to be intimate with her, but she said, no because I am muslim now. You have no right to even touch me. He understood then, that the deen is not something simple, and that it changes people overnight.

So they continued until they reached R. saw, also he stopped to kill his slave yang awal tadi. Ikrimah wasn’t muslim yet masa tu so he had killed the slave out of revenge.

After some time, Ikrimah himself became a Muslim and he said to Rasulullah saw “You were the most hated person to me, but now you are the most beloved person to me” – Ikrimah.. subhanAllah.. walhal sebelum tu he was one of the people adamantly fighting the Beloved of Allah saw. Ikrimah ra must have realized himself that the deen is not something simple, and that it changes people overnight...


Later, during the time of Umar, ada perang. Ikrimah was injured very badly. He heard person next to him in pain and told person yang bawak air to him tu kasi pada orang sebelah. Dan orang sebelah suruh kasi orang sebelah, dan tgk dah passed away, second, pun dah meninggal, and then ikrimah pun dah meninggal. Selfless pengorbanan.

So Ikrimah became one of the best sahabah as well. SubhanAllah.

May Allah help us to "change overnight" like the sahabah, through His deen. Amin.

Assalamualaikum wrth...

I got this from my friend's website at UK... a very nice one to reflect :

INTENTION
Last few months, my housemate was asked, "Are you going to the Malaysian Night?" The event was organised by the local Malaysian society and involved some unIslamic activity such as musical performances and free-mixing between genders. It has been in absence since one of my housemates became the society's President a few years ago, but elements inside the society has been able to revive it again this year.

This housemate of mine shook his head, and was asked again, "Why? (It's because of) all that dancing and singing isn't it? Well, I know... but you see, I am going not because I want to see them. My intention is good; I'll go to meet people."

Last Friday night, during the weekly Malay circle, we read the first hadith in Imam an-Nawawi's Matan Arba'in (Fourty Hadith). He (the housemate) immediately raised out the issue: could it be OK to attend a function like the Malaysian Night (if one has keep a 'good' intention)?

What has happened is not uncommon. I have heard people giving the same reason (I have good intention) before to defend some of their choice of action, citing the hadith (all actions depend on the intention) as their proof. In one case it was a girl who does not want to cover her head; in another it was a boy who insisted on everyone to wear shorts on the football court.

For many Syafi'ites, the work of al-Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fathul Mu'in, is enough as an answer to this question. In this text, Ibn Hajar explained that for an 'amal (action) to be considered as an ibadah, the intention (al-niyyah) must fulfill its mabadi (foundations/principles), of which there are seven:

1. haqiqah
2. hukm
3. mahalli
4. zaman
5. kaifiyyah
6. shart
7. maqsud

These seven principles can be applied to all other ibadah though the explanation for each of them might differ according to the type of ibadah (worship) in question:

1. haqiqah (essence)
For al-niyyah, linguistically it simply means 'qasad' or the desire. But in legal term (istilahi), it actually means 'to intend something and coupled with it the action.' Imam an-Nawawi in his text said that this means the intention must have both the 'qudrah' (the capacity) and 'iradah', the will/the faculty to decide what to do.

2. hukm (legal ruling)
For an ibadah, the hukm is 'wajib' (obligatory) to do the intention. For activity of daily living e.g. eating, walking and sleeping, the obligation to make al-niyyah is non-obligatory, but it is strongly recommended to do so, and if done would qualify the action as an act of worship too, insya-Allah.

3. mahalli (location)
For al-niyyah, this is at the qalb (heart). Those done by tongue are merely the lafz (recitation) of the niyyah. So the latter would not validate a prayer for instance.

4. zaman (timing)
The timing for the intention, says Ibn Hajar, is 'awwalu al-wajibat' - at the beginning of the action. Intention made during as-sujud for example is not an intention.

5. kaifiyyah (methodology)
For the intention to be accepted, the ibadah must also follows the regulations concerning performing it.

6. shart (condition)
The ulama give the definition of al-shart as 'ma wajiba was-tamarra' i.e. everything that is required and remains required until the end of an action. As an example let's take the prayer. The shart for a prayer includes being a Muslim, knowing the time, having ablution etc. So if a non-Muslim make an intention to pray, his intention would not be valid, even if he do all the rukn (pillars) of that prayer.

7.maqsud (objective)
Last but not least, the acceptance of an intention requires that the ibadah perform is of hasan (good) action. Murder in the name of Allah, for instance, is not valid.

Now, after knowing what al-niyyah is really about, let's ponder if stealing to donate to poor as what Robin Hood of Nottingham did, or riding naked across town to release the burdening taxes to the poor as what Lady Godiva of Coventry did, could be considered as good and exemplary actions.

Indeed, the answer is NO, as they do not fulfill one or a few of the definition of al-niyyah despite the goodness of their 'intentions'.

Actually, the discussion this detail is not really needed. It should be sufficient for anyone to know the usul (principle) of fiqh: al-ghayah la tudabbiru al-wasilah (the end does not justify the mean).

Being Muslims means completely non-Machiavelli, don't you think?

Munchies from Imam Djafer's sirah halaqah

Rasulullah saw was tested in his own family life. Major events happened to him personally so we can learn from them. For instance, through Aisha the mother of the believer, she had to go through all these things [imam Djafer had talked about the slander story too] so we can learn from them. Better learn from that, after all that she had to go through!

Also during another time, when Allah suruh Rasullah saw kawin dengan Zainab ex wife of Zaid. Allah gave her in marriage to Rasulullah saw.. bukannya her parents pun. Allah yang suruh. She used to be very proud of that to Rasulullah saw's other wives. SubhanAllah. And it wasn’t out of arrogance. She was a very humble and special person. R. saw before his death said, "Among you, the one who would come right after my death is the one who has the longest hand.” And they were all there, except Khadijah. When he said that, they started measuring their hands against each other. Saudah who was the tallest among them and married second after Khadijah had the longest hand physically. So they were saying, oh untunglah awak… etc.. but later on they all realized that what R. saw meant was that the longest hand was the one who gave the most in charity because Zainab was the first of Rasulullah saw's wives (after Khadijah) to pass away. Bayangkan dengar cerita2 tentang generosity of Aisha, and to know that Zainab gave even more! SubhanAllah.

-- Maaf sebab dah lama tak postkan Munchies/Bite-ables.. rasa macam tak sempat nak taip kan je :( astaghfirullah. Alhamdulillah today terus masukkan notes dalam laptop waktu halaqa :). Hopefully the word/sentence structure makes sense. They're taken from my own notes, so they're mostly for my own kesedaran inshaAllah.

A Little Mosque in Tarazona

An unexpected visit to an ancient mosque
In a little Spanish town
Taught me so many lessons
In a single moment.

In a little mosque in Tarazona
I learned that you can bury the dead
But their sincerity and good works live on forever.

In a little mosque in Tarazona
I learned that behind the façade of crucifixes and cathedrals
Buried deep beneath the old stones, dirt, and rubble
Lies a Muslim past of beauty, majesty, and splendor unrivaled by the moderns.

In a little mosque in Tarazona
I learned that an Indian man like me, born into Islam, must humbly submit to its
Andalusian legacy in order to truly know himself.
For just as God has promised, He vanquishes and He raises up.
And the wise are those who submit to the ones He has so raised.
And so has He raised Wyman & Winter, and Mattson & Jackson in Islam, so
that an ignorant man like me could learn his religion.

All these lessons I learned in a single moment
On an unexpected visit
To a little Spanish town
In a little mosque in Tarazona.



Azhar Muhammad Usman
Zaragosa, Spain
09 Jumada al-Awwal 1424 | 09 July 2003

Taken from azhar.com

Tarazona is a place in Spain where they had discovered a masjid in 2003. The masjid was built during the time of Andalusian Spain.

A very beautiful poem, mashaAllah

Nablus now

In Auschwitz it dripped
In Nablus now it drips
From flesh it freshly flowed
As in Nablus now it rips

In Auschwitz she cried
In Nablus now she cries
Hated hands held her and hers
As in Nablus where she lies

In Auschwitz they moaned
In Nablus now they moan
Hear the hunger haunting them
As Nablus orphans groan

In Auschwitz he fell
In Nablus now he falls
Bullets bounce from boy to brain
In Nablus off the walls

In Auschwitz they died
In Nablus now we die
And you call this land Holy Land?
In Nablus, we call it Auschwitz.

-Zeba Khan

Taken from islam4real.blogspot.com

should we be grateful?
post from excellent writer degrouchyowl.

Which of your lord’s favors do you deny?
Gratitude is a funny thing. Most of us are sure we have it. We’re grateful to our parents for the nice stuff they’ve given us, we’re grateful to our bosses for hiring us, we’re grateful to our friends for their friendship and we’re always grateful when a stranger unexpectedly does us a favor. We’re vessels of goodness and appreciation, the whole lot of us.

Me though, I’m not always very grateful. It’s easy for me to look to those with more things and wish for those as well. And of course, by ‘things’ I mean stuff- crap, goods, shiny things. I’m not even talking about the intangible things, like happiness, peace of mind, love, health and security. Good old material ‘things’ are my primary concern, and not having all that can be had can sometimes be disheartening.

Some wise dude once said “Look to what you don’t have and you’ll never be happy, but look towards what could be taken away, and you’ll be satisfied.” Alright, let’s try that. Go get out a pen and paper, and tally each and every item you have, own, or use. Now just look at them, and you’ll find that it’s a wonderful reminder of all the things you have to be grateful for.

But don’t just record your tangible things, your *stuff,* record the intangible things as well. Like peace of mind, people who love you, dignity and happiness. All of these fall into the category of things you have that could be taken away.

Think about it, nowhere is it written that all people have the undeniable right to safety. You live in a dangerous world where crime and accidents regularly take the lives and well-being of people, but so far, you’ve been spared. That is a blessing. So are peace and the absence of war. We generally live secure lives while there are places in the world where whole generations of people have known nothing but conflict. We don’t have to fear the sound of planes flying overhead, worrying that they may drop a bomb. Most of us will see our brothers live to maturity without ever knowing the pain of watching all men of age be sent to the battlefield. Our food and utilities will probably never be rationed like they are in those countries where prolonged hostilities have claimed most goods. When ill, doctors and medicines are easily found, while elsewhere those services are reserved for the wounded, or too expensive for anyone but the rich. Most of us will never suffer the pain of a bullet or shrapnel wound, or ever feel the numbing and terrifying uncertainty that war holds over our lives and those of our loved ones.

Health isn’t guaranteed either. We all complain about our various afflictions - asthma, insomnia, anemia, depression – as if they are serious or life threatening. Griping about your health is a luxury of those with enough energy and strength to do so, and they are usually those who don’t have anything to really complain about anyways. Ask most people what’s their worst medical experience and they’ll probably list things like appendicitis, food poisoning and pneumonia, all temporary and curable. There are lots and lots of people out there who are crippled by terminal illness that medicine cannot help, who have no choice but to tolerate excruciating pain without a known cure, while the worst pain most of us will ever feel can be dulled by a few aspirins. I couldn’t even begin to list the millions of diseases and afflictions that beleaguers a huge population of the world. There are plenty, and it is a blessing from God that we will experience only a few in our lifetimes.

Love is something we all think is owed to us. We demand it from our parents, expect it in a lesser degree from our siblings, and spend a good part of our lives trying to find it in others. It is considered a necessary part of a happy life. You can’t survive without love, but apparently, lots of people do. What of the street children, orphans, wanderers, loners and those born in broken homes where basic amenities, let alone affections, are not provided? And even still, a person can have mountains of wealth and the best of everything, and never feel loved. Its lack is something I can’t describe, as I’ve never felt it, but I imagine it must be horrible. Not only have most of us felt the affirming sensation of another’s regard, but we’ve also rarely felt hatred in its place. Though we often complain about our relations, how they don’t understand, are demanding and rigid, and how they make our lives difficult, we forget how superficial these concerns are. Being a relative doesn’t ensure feelings of selfless love. Some family members mercilessly beat others, or molest them, or make outwards displays of loathing, and go out of their way to cause pain to their own relatives. Most of us don’t know how lucky we are to never truly have to fear our own families.

Aside from health, none of us was promised a whole self. We seem to forever be griping about ourselves, not being tall enough, too fat, too thin, ill-proportioned, nose not right, teeth not straight and the list goes on. For some people though, an insufficiency of beauty is the least of their concerns, as they grapple with disfiguration, blindness, deafness, or mental or physical disability.

And then there are those who don’t even have that awareness to know that something is wrong. The very fact that we were born intelligent, reasoning humans is such a gift. Some people, through birth or accident, live all their lives in a state of vegetative unconsciousness or highly limited perception. Lucky are the ones that aren’t aware of what they are missing, but for those who do know something is amiss, theirs must be a sad and frustrating existence.

Life itself is probably the greatest thing we take for granted. We are alive and have never known any other state, and with our typical convoluted logic, we assume that we will simply continue on living. I have not died today. I did not die yesterday. Therefore, I will not die tomorrow. Many people die before reaching old age, or even adolescence, but we forget that no person has been guaranteed a long life.

Come to think of it, nothing you have has been guaranteed, or even earned. It’s all been granted to you, and it can all be taken away. None of it is your right, it’s all a favor.

Taken from our Muslim friend, Tora's website: http://islam4real.blogspot.com/

fabiayyi alaai rabbikuma tukazzhiban