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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Halaqah-Sentuhan kalbu?

Menangis di akhir Ramadhan-untuk lebih emosi, bacalah monolog ini dengan berlatarkan audio alunan Al quran dari mp3 masing masing...)

Dalam kedamaian sahur, dan kedinginan sepertiga malam, setelah selesai melabuhkan tahajjud cinta dan kini tenang menjamah makanan sahur yang menyelerakan…, di sebalik semua nikmat berugama ini, tidak terhintung banyaknya telah mengalir akan air mata dan darah para kekasih Allah…

Mungkin kita terlupa pada isteri Nabi Musa a.s yang kesejukkan di bawah kaki bukit Tsur, bersama anak-anaknya, yang tabah menunggu suami serta ayah mereka, yang telah pergi mengambil api dari puncak bukit, tapi suami yang di tunggu tak muncul tiba, kerana hakikatnya si suami sudah di lantik menjadi Nabi, dan bermulalah sebuah pengorbanan anak beranak demi nikmat berugama untuk diri dan ummat akan datang..…
Dalam kemeriahan kita berbuka puasa pula, sedang asyik menjamah makanan dan menjamu selera…, di sebalik semua nikmat berugama ini, tidak terhintung banyaknya telah mengalir akan air mata dan darah para kekasih Allah…

Barangkali kita terlupa pada Isteri Nabi Ibrahim a.s yang kepanasan dan kehausan, serta kelaparan dan keletihan dalam mencari air di Lembah Safar dan Marwah.. sedang anak masih dalam susuan, lalu tinggalah dua beranak di lembah Mekah tanpa suami di sisi kerana suaminya sedang berkorban demi mencari nikmat berugama untuk diri dan ummat akan datang..…

Hari ini kita bersolat berlangitkan kipas syiling, dan berdiri di atas karpet yang lembut lagi tebal, serta masjid yang sungguh indah saujana mata, di sebalik semua nikmat berugama ini, tidak terhintung banyaknya telah mengalir akan air mata dan darah para kekasih Allah…

Mungkin kita terlupa pada Summayah r.aha yang di tombak sehingga mati kerana ugama ini, atau keluarga Yassir yang turut mati di seksa, atau Nabi zakaria a.s yang di gergaji sehingga terbelah dua atau juga Nabi Yahya a,s yang di pancung kepalanya, semuanya telah terkorban demi kerana ugama!
Sesungguhnya, demi ugama, Allah sanggup melihat kekasihNya terkorban dan terus terkorban dan di korbankan....

Dalam kemeriahan kita semua berbuka puasa, makan bersama kicap cap ‘Bilal’ penyedap rasa, sebenarnya kita telah terlupa pada Bilal bin Rabah yang hayat hidupnya di seksa, di jemur di padang pasir sedang di dadanya di pasak dengan batu sebesar raksasa, saban malam di cemeti bergilir-gilir pula...

Tak lupa juga akan kita yang berbuka dengan roti Khebbab yang enak dan menyelerakan, daging panggang dan roti pital yang empuk.., sedang Khabbab bin Alarat r.a telah di seksa kerana ugama ini, beliau di seret atas bara api sehingga lemak dan darahnya telah memadamkan bara api.. semuanya demi kerana ugama.... berkorban dalam mencari nikmat berugama untuk diri dan ummat akan datang...

Dalam kedamaian sahur, dan kemeriahan berbuka puasa, serta rukuk dan sujud yang merehatkan jiwa, di sebalik semua nikmat berugama ini, sebenarnya, tidak terhintung banyaknya telah mengalir akan air mata dan darah para kekasih Allah…
Izinkan untuk aku terus titipkan beberapa lembaran kisah mereka yang telah menderita kerana ugama, berkorban dalam mencari nikmat berugama untuk diri dan ummat akan datang..…

Pada suatu waktu di saat zaman dan kurun yang terbaik, terdapat cerita seorang sahabat Nabi SAW yang baru kematian isterinya sedang beliau masih mempunyai seorang anak lelaki berusia 5 tahun, namun sahabat ini telah datang berjumpa Nabi SAW untuk menyertai jihad menegakkan ugama Allah...

Nabi menasihatinya supaya duduk di rumah bersama anaknya yang masih kecil itu.., tapi dia mendesak juga untuk menyertai, barangkali beliau telah tercium bau syurga. Dan Nabi Muhammad SAW telah benarkan beliau pergi..

Si anak yang di bernama Basyir ini pun bukan calang calang budak. Walaupun baru berusia 5 tahun telah sanggup berpisah dan di pisahkan demi semata mata kerana agama Allah.

Malahan si anak-anak para sahabat Baginda ini akan saling berbangga terhadap ayah dan bapa mereka yang telah turut sama menyertai peperangan bersama Baginda SAW.
Allah jua yang mencampak kefahaman dalam diri mereka tentang nilai ugama..
Setelah beberapa masa berlalu, terdengarlah khabar berita akan kepulangan tentera islam dari luar kota Madinah, Nun di sana kelihatan segerombolan habuk dan debu yang berterbangan menjulang ke langit kesan hentakan tapak kaki kuda dan unta milik tentera islam.

Di sempadan Madinah, sebaik kuda dan unta menghentikan tapak kakinya, dan dalam suasana debu debuan yang masih berterbangan, si anak-anak sahabat sudah tidak sabar menunggu untuk bertemu dengan bapa-bapa mereka. Dalam larian kasih sayang, Basyir bin Abarkah telah mendahului kesemua perindu yang lain, walaupun usianya baru 5 tahun, tapi beliaulah yang paling maju, katanya: ingin menyergah ayahnya..maklumlah, Mereka baru belajar erti rindu.

Debu debu pun mulai turun ke bumi. Sedikit demi sedikit terpancullah wajah kuda dan wajah unta yang setia.

Dan debu debu pun masih terus turun ke bumi. Sedikit demi sedikit terlihatlah wajah bapa bapa mereka. Maka si anak mula menerkam si bapa, dan bapa mulai menerpa si anak, mereka saling berpelukan menangis gembira melepaskan rindu dendam. Bapa mana yang tidak rindu pada anaknya? Anak mana yang tidak gembira bertemu bapanya? Lantas terdengar suara takbir di sini sana, memuji Allah sambil menangis kesyukuran..
Memuji Nikmat Allah..

Tidak lama kemudian.. sempadan Madinah itu telah menjadi daerah sepi dan sunyi, yang tinggal hanyalah kesan tapak kaki manusia dan binatang tunggangan. Namun yang terlihat pada waktu dan ketika itu, Basyir budak berumur 5 tahun seorang diri sedang melilau mencari ayahnya. Sudah puas ke kiri dan ke kanan… sudah jauh mata memandang, sudah penat menunggu, namun si ayah yang di rindu, tidak datang-datang!. Tidak kunjung tiba!

Ke mana ayah pergi?

Kenapa masih belum pulang?

Dalam debu debu yang masih tinggal, terlihat satu kelibat lelaki sedang berjalan ke arah Basyir bin Abarkah budak berumur 5 tahun itu,
Lalu si Basyir menerpa lelaki itu kerana disangkanya bapanya sudah pulang. Namun lelaki itu bukanlah bapanya, sebaliknya lelaki itu adalah Nabi Muhammad SAW.

Lantas Basyir bertanya:
Mana ayah ku?.

Lalu Nabi memalingkan wajahnya ke kanan kerana tidak sanggup untuk berkata kata.
Si Basyir lantas bergerak kekanan Baginda dan terus bertanya:
“Mana ayah ku?”.

Sekali lagi Nabi memalingkan wajahnya ke kiri lantaran tidak sanggup untuk menuturkan kata kata sedang air mata mulai berlinangan di pipi. Si Basyir tidak berputus asa dan terus bergerak ke kiri Baginda.
"Mana ayah ku?”.

Lalu Nabi duduk sama tinggi dan menjawab dengan nada sedih dan pilu sedang tangan baginda mengusap rambut Basyir....

“Anak.., Ayah mu telah syahid.”
Air mata anak terus mengalir hangat, di kala darah yang mengalir dari badan ayahnya sudah lama lenyap di telan bumi....

Lantas Nabi memujuk: “Mahukah kamu aku menjadi ayahmu? Aisyah menjadi ibumu, dan Fatimah menjadi kakakmu?”...

Dalam kedamaian sahur kita pagi ini, dan kemeriahan berbuka puasa petang nanti, serta rukuk dan sujud yang merehatkan jiwa di waktu malam, di sebalik semua nikmat berugama ini, tidak terhintung banyaknya telah mengalir akan air mata dan darah para kekasih Allah… Sesungguhnya mereka telah mewarnai bumi Mekkah dan Madinah dengan darah..

Disini juga biarlah aku ceritakan kisah Mus’ab bin Umair, yang hidup dalam kesempitan serta kedaifan, pada suatu hari telah berjalan melewati Baginda SAW sedang beliau hanya memakai sehelai kain yang telah koyak di beberapa bahagian. Salah satu bahagian yang terkoyak telah di tampal dengan kulit binatang kerana tidak cukup kain, lalu sambil menangis Rasululullah bercerita kisah Mus’ab bin Umair kepada sahabat yang lain, bahawa sebelum islam, Mus’ab bin Umair adalah anak orang kaya dan hidup dalam kemewahan, di sayangi dan di manjai, hidup ditatang bagai minyak yang penuh, pakaiannya sahaja berharga 200 dirham dan hidup dengan penuh perhatian dari ibu bapa. Tapi sebaik beliau memeluk ugama islam, beliau telah di murkai oleh ibu bapa, di ikat dan di kurung, satu hari beliau dapat melepaskan diri dan lari mengikut sahabat Nabi lalu hidup dalam keadaan zuhud dan miskin.
Di hujung pengorbanan, dalam perperangan Uhud, mayatnya di lihat terbujur tanpa ke dua-dua tangan, di potong musuh selangsung tugasnya yang memegang bendera.., dan baginda SAW telah menutup mayatnya dengan kain tapi tidak cukup lalu di tutup dengan daun-daun Izkhar..

Dalam hidangan berbuka puasa yang enak dan meyelerakan, serta rukuk dan sujud yang merehatkan jiwa di sepertiga malam, di sebalik semua nikmat berugama ini, tidak terhintung banyaknya telah mengalir akan air mata dan darah para kekasih Allah…
Dan ada juga cerita lain seorang ibu kepada beberapa anak lelaki yang di beritahu tentang kematian suami di medan perang, tentang kematian anak sulung, tentang kematian anak nombor dua dan seterusnya anaknya yang bongsu. Namun, Bila terdengar semua ahli keluarganya mati di jalan Allah dia masih bertenang, tapi bila mendapat tahu anaknya yang bongsu juga mati , si ibu ini terpegun dan menangis…dia dipujuk orang, supaya bersabar dengan ujian Allah..

Tapi si ibu berkata: “janganlah kamu semua ucap takziah pada aku, tapi ucapkanlah tahniah kepada aku, …, aku menangis bukan kerana semua ahli keluarga ku telah mati, tapi aku menangis kerana aku sudah tiada anak lelaki lagi untuk di korbankan di jalan Allah.!”

Dalam kerehatan kita bertarawaikh, dan sedang menikmati juadah more sejurus lepas solat witir, di sebalik semua nikmat berugama ini, sesungguhnya, tidak terhintung banyaknya telah mengalir akan air mata dan darah para kekasih Allah…

Seorang sahabat ketika hendak di campak ke dalam api oleh seorang Raja kafir telah menangis sambil berkata: “aku menangis bukan kerana takut mati, aku menangis kerana aku hanya ada satu nyawa sahaja, seandainya aku mempunyai nyawa sebanyak bulu roma di badanku…maka, satu demi satu akan ku korbankan untuk ugama!!! "

Dalam keseronokkan kita membuat persediaan hari raya, bertepuk tampar, dan saling bergembira, bertakbir di sini sana, di sebalik semua nikmat berugama ini, sesungguhnya, tidak terhintung banyaknya telah mengalir akan air mata dan darah para kekasih Allah…

Mungkin kita terlupa pada awal kerja Nabi di jalankan, ketika Nabi Muhamad SAW keluar dari rumah dengan baju yang bersih, tapi bila petang nanti pulang, baju Nabi sudah kotor, kerana di jalanan beliau di pukul orang, di sepak terajang, di simbah sampah dan di baling batu serta najis..,

Dari celah daun pintu Fatimah r.aha anak Nabi mengintai perlakuan ayahandanya yang tercinta, lalu bergenanglah air matanya melihat penderitaan ayahnya, namun sebaik Nabi pulang, lekas-lekas beluau menyampu air mata dan menyambut Baginda dengan senyuman, menyembunyikan kesedihan diri demi memberi sokongan moral dan sedikit hiburan kepada jiwa luhur bapanya yang teramat tabah itu..

Namun hati anak mana yang tahan melihat ayahnya terus menerus di seksa? Lantas suatu hari beliau telah mengikut di belakang Nabi, melihat perlakuan ayahnya secara langsung, di jalanan beliau melihat ayahnya berdakwah dan di hina, di layan seperti pengemis dan binatang, di sakiti, di caci, di maki, di pukul, dan di baling batu...
Kemuncak penghinaan, ketika Nabi bersolat di hadapan Kaabah, Abu jahal dan sekutunya telah membuang najis dan perut unta ke belakang badan baginda yang sedang sujud.., dengan linangan air mata Fatimah r.aha datang membersihkan najis di badan ayahnya..

Hati mana yang boleh bertahan, lantas di suatu hari yang lain, Fatimah r.a telah menyambut kepulangan Nabi Muhammad SAW dengan linangan air mata., Lalu Baginda bertanya: kenapa menangis?

Dengan air mata yang bergenang, melihat penderitaan ayahnya, Fatimah r.aha berkata:
“Aku menangis kerana ku lihat telah bertukar warna kulitmu dan kotor pakaianmu.., ”

Nabi menjawab...
“Janganlah kamu menangis wahai Fatimah, satu hari nanti, ugama yang aku bawa ini, akan pergi menuju ke setiap rumah walaupun rumah itu berada di desa atau di Bandar, dan Allah akan masukkan kemuliaan atau kehinaan ke dalam rumah seperti tersebarnya malam…”

Maka kita semua pada hari ini, Dalam kedamaian pagi dan ketenangan petang atau kesejahteraan malam, sedang kita menikmati nikmat berugama, mungkin di suatu hari akan datang wakil Nabi mengetuk pintu rumahmu, tidak kira di mana kamu berada, di desa atau di Bandar, dan Allah akan masukkan kemuliaan atau kehinaan ke dalam rumahmu seperti tersebarnya malam… dan bukakanlah pintu rumahmu dan pintu hatimu.., kerana mereka hakikatnya sedang menzahirkan hadith Nabi Muhamad SAW.

Ziarah mereka bukan kerana hari raya, atau kerana menuntut hutang, tapi semata mata kerana Allah, mudah-mudahan kamu dan mereka akan dapat menikmati ruang di bawah arashy berkat amalan ini, dan semoga Allah kasihan pada kamu dan mereka lantaran amalan yang mulia ini lalu mengekalkan kita semua dalam iman, dan menyebarkan hidayat ke seluruh alam, sehingga akhirnya kesemua lelaki akhil baligh dapat minikmati solat berjemaah, dan kesemua wanita akhil baligh dapat menikmati solat di awal waktu serta tutup aurat dengan sempurna, kemudian, anak-anak akan taat perintah ibu bapa, dan isteri-isteri akan taat perintah suami dan semua mahkluk akan taat perintah Allah lalu menyembah Allah dengan cara yang paling layak selayak-layaknya Dia di sembah!...

Sesengguhnya, Dalam kedamaian sahur, dan kemeriahan berbuka puasa, serta rukuk dan sujud yang merehatkan jiwa, di sebalik semua nikmat berugama ini, tidak terhintung banyaknya telah mengalir akan air mata dan darah para kekasih Allah…
Selamat menyambut Lalatul Qadar, Lalilatul Jaizah, dan selamat menyambut Hari raya..
Maaf Zahir dan batin.

Sekian.

******

Hamka KeretaMayat.

(28 Ramadhan 1428H)

Thursday, August 18, 2011

A Blessed Ramadhan Through the Generation - Part 1

8/19/2010 - Religious Family Education - Article Ref: AJ1008-4261
By: Lesley Schaffer and Kamal Shaarawy
Al Jumuah* - 22-08


The month of Ramadhan is divinely made for self-reflection and self-examination. Along with the soul-taming experience of self-restraint and delay of gratification found in fasting, we are given the opportunity to probe our own minds and hearts in a deeper way. This soul searching can include looking at "my" relationship with Allah, my relationship with my own self, and my relationship with other people, particularly my family members.

But Ramadhan is more than all about us. So one of the most pertinent questions we can ask ourselves in these days of profound spiritual dedication and renewal is this: How can we guide our children to a closer relationship with Allah, and how can we facilitate for them a greater surrender to, and love of, Him?

My experience in counseling numerous families has given me insight to some answers.

But let's begin first with Umar ibnul Khattab. A father came to him when he was khalifah and complained to him that his son did not respect or obey him. Umar listened to the man patiently and men sent a messenger to bring the son. Umar met with the son alone and asked him about his father's complaints, and Umar wept upon listening to the boy He then spoke privately with the father who fully expected to hear that the khalifah had reprimanded his son and set him straight about the Islamic imperative to respect parents. Umar asked the son to leave them alone.

What he told this father may surprise you. He said that he could not expect his son to respect him and be dutiful to him because he, the father, did not respect the son or fulfill his duty toward his son. This had become clear to Umar during his conversation with the son.

Some 1400 years later a man named Sal Severe has written a book called How to Behave so Your Children Will Too. The title says it all, doesn't it? When Sal's children were young, he says, he realized that the way he behaved toward them very much determined how they behaved toward him and to everyone else. Over the many years of counseling families, he came to the conclusion that spending one hour with the parents did more to help a problem child than spending time with the child himself.

So is it not imperative for us as parents to change ourselves if there are things in our own behavior that negatively impact the environment in the home and the dynamic between family members?

Yet it is so common that parents come to counseling expecting the counselor to work miracles with their problem child, to somehow "fix" their child.

And when I suggest to the parents that there are things they too must work on in their own souls, some of them get offended, and insist that the problem is the child, not them. I wonder if the father who brought his son to Umar responded the same way when told that he could not expect his son to respect him since he didn't respect his son.

It is very easy for us parents to delude ourselves into thinking that we are just fine as we are, but our children have to change. This is not intended in any way to blame parents or make them feel guilty.

The fact is that none of us is perfect in our parenting. We make numerous mistakes and are doing well if we continuously reexamine what we are doing and how we are doing it. This is part and parcel of the ongoing, lifelong process of transforming the self. And in fact, our children benefit from seeing us fall short, grapple with our own shortcomings, but through it all maintain a commitment to personal growth and change. Our children will see that they too will experience that human journey and that every mistake made is an opportunity to learn and grow, and in that process-if it is one's intention-to strive for greater purity of heart and closeness to Allah.

The point is that Allah does not ask that we be perfect. We are commanded, however, to be committed to the process of purifying our hearts, of transforming ourselves, of deepening our knowledge of "self" each and every day. We have to portray that process to our children as a fascinating, joyful, rewarding process. And-here's the point- we can only do that if we experience it that way! It is a profound reality that we are at every moment modeling for our children the beliefs, attitudes, values, priorities, and behaviors that speak volumes to them of our own spiritual lives and lay the foundation for the spiritual lives of our children.

The unavoidable truth is that if we want to guide our children to a closer relationship with Allah, we have to demonstrate what that close relationship looks like, sounds like, and feels like. If we want to facilitate for them a greater love of Him, we have to make our love of Allah visible through our own daily living. If we want to ensure our children's surrender to Allah, we must truthfully represent that surrender with our own manner of thought, feeling, and behavior.

It sounds easy enough to establish a family life that revolves around awareness of Allah as the guide, the criterion, and the support that permeates our days and nights, and easy enough to provide opportunities for our children to be with their Muslim friends whose parents want the same for them as we do for our children. But is it?



And why is this so important? Consider the following hadeeth:

The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "Listen, shall I tell you something more important in degree than prayer (salah), fasting (sawm) and charity (sadaqah)?" The Companions requested him to do so. He said: "Keeping a mutual relationship on the right footing, because defect in that relationship shaves a thing clean." Abu Isa said this is a sound (sahih) hadeeth. It is further related that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "It shaves a thing clean, and I do not mean that it shaves the hair, but it shaves the religion (deen)" (Tirmithi).

It is truly remarkable that guarding and protecting our relationships is more important in degree than prayer (salah), fasting (sawm) and charity (sadaqah) .We know just how important prayer, fasting, and charity are, and this hadeeth is not lessening their significance in any way, but rather pointing to how essential relationships are. The fact that a defect in a relationship wipes out one's religion (deen) indicates the tremendous impact our relationships have on us and those we are involved with. If we consider how draining of energy a miserable marriage relationship is, for example, we can understand how the depression, hopelessness, resentment, and other negative experiences that result from a dysfunctional and unhappy marriage can gradually erode one's practice of Islam.

Does this hadeeth not teach us that our relationships, including our relationships with our children, need to be guarded in order to guard our own and our children's experience and practice of Islam? By extension, we can also include the importance of guarding "my" relationship with my own self (so many people have issues and inner conflicts that drain away their energy). And even more crucially, we can infer from this the importance of guarding "my" relationship with Allah, as this relationship can become routine and unfulfilling if we don't make it a priority.

If we want to ensure our children's surrender to Allah, we must truthfully represent that surrender with our own manner of thought, feeling, and action. Then our children will emulate us and love Allah.

In the same way, if we want our children to enjoy a character and personality that are healthy and successful, we have to provide the model for a healthy and successful relationship "with self." In that way, our children will emulate us and feel successful in navigating through their own lives. They will be emulating us and loving their own lives.

And if we want our children to enjoy healthy and successful relationships with other people, we have to provide that model, as well. In fact, our relationship with our children is the model our children will copy with others. If we are successful in our relationship with them, they will emulate us and love ???? we'll get to that exciting answer below. Let's look at each of the three categories of relationship.

Guarding Our Relationship with the 'Self'

If we were to create an overall composite profile of couples who seek marital counseling, it would look like this:

One or both spouses is resistant to learning new things, closed to new experiences, and static rather than dynamic in their daily manner of living.

One or both is in denial about their issues, blaming others for their difficulties, and not very open to receiving feedback about their shortcomings; not completely honest with themselves about their issues or shortcomings.

One or both have impulse control issues, compulsions, or addictions.

One or both is disorganized with regard to time management, finances, household, etc.

One or both have issues of anxiety, anger, or depression.

One or both lack confidence or assertiveness in the relationship and resign themselves to an unfulfilled marriage and/or fife, or resort to passive-aggressive behavior.

One or both is lazy, lacking motivation or inspiration, feeling like a victim of external circumstances, failing to make the marital relationship a priority.

One or both are unhappy or even miserable with their marriage and their life in general.

We can avoid much of the above-described misery by working on ourselves and taking an inventory of self to see how we are doing with regard to each of the aspects listed below. A married couple can learn new skills such as empathic listening or conflict resolution. However, the two spouses each bring to the relationship their own personal strengths and weaknesses. If both are committed to self-transformation, working on their own issues, the relationship can strengthen and deepen each and every day. Each aspect of self listed below refers to the corresponding description above. In addition to each spouse's personal happiness and the success of the marital relationship, it is so important to work on the self because we are the primary models for our children of health or unhealthy relationship with regard to self.

Each of the traits listed below is part of the human potential to attain to an integrated state of being whole and complete. Every individual has the challenge of harmonizing the various parts of his personhood-his thoughts, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, values, motives, and behaviors-into an uncompromised, congruent whole. We can look at the personhood as a system whose various parts are combined and organized, an arrangement of personality and character aspects and attributes that form a complex yet unitary whole. Each aspect listed below is an essential provision on the journey of self-transformation, the striving for excellence (ihsan) that Islam teaches us. Those who are interested in further in-depth discussion about each of the following aspects, can find a full article on each aspect at www.salaamhearts.com .



1. Openness to new experience and change

This indicates a person's desire and willingness to seek out new ideas, activities, and/or people. These individuals feel comfortable with change and do not adhere strictly to familiar routines and experiences unless these facilitate their health, happiness, and success. There are always new opportunities for change, whether in our external world of experience or in our internal world of thoughts, feelings, actions, and habits. Those who are comfortable with change have an open mindedness and inclination to personal growth and enrichment, exploration, and discovery. Those who are open to new experiences tend to be curious and creative-minded, and to enjoy variety. They understand that Islam is a self-tranformational religion and way of life.

2. Integrity

Integrity is essential to spiritual excellence. It is also at the core of a truly happy and fulfilling life. Cultivating integrity and honesty involves a gradual dropping away of all pre- tense and manipulation in one's interactions with others. Integrity as a manner of living that adheres to moral and ethical principles, results in a process of healing all that is fragmented, broken, or wounded within the soul.This manner of living also incorporates a dedication to facing one's shortcomings and honestly seeing the reality of one's everyday life and relationships.

To drop our egoistic pretenses and practice living each moment centered in, and coming from, the heart, is a life-long journey that promises the greatest happiness and fulfillment. It is the path we can take to reclaim our Jitrah, the primal, pristine human nature we were born with.

3. Self-discipline / Self-governance

Self-discipline is a capacity to behave in a way that serves our intentions and goals. It is necessary to cultivate self-discipline in order to achieve optimal health, happiness, and success. Lacking self-control leads to indulgence in impulsive or habitual behaviors and attitudes that disregard the principle of cause and effect. Realizing that an action has consequences and that we can make a choice at each and every moment of our daily lives, is the first step toward the desire to strive for self-governance. Self-governance, or the lack thereof, affects every aspect of our lives, including physical and mental health, relationships, particularly marriage and parent/child relationships, career, practice of Islam, school, and so on. Controlling impulses and whims is a profound ability that can be learned at any age, and can be strengthened anytime one makes an intention to further develop this capacity. Sabr (patience and perseverance) is at the core of self-discipline and self-governance.

4. Orderliness and Organization

Being orderly and organized with one's belongings, priorities, and habits of living is essential to feeling peaceful in daily life. Oftentimes, disorderliness is a reflection of a disorganized thinking style. It's been said that "Organized minds make successful people. "The truth is that feeling relaxed and comfortable, as well as accomplishing one's goals, is much more possible when one's interior (mind) .and exterior (environment) are neat and tidy. When your home, closets, office, or desk, for example, are messy and cluttered, it is very difficult to get things done in an efficient way. And enjoying the process is next to impossible. Being orderly and organized comes naturally to some people, but it is a skill that can be learned and the benefits are enormous, positively affecting every aspect of one's life.

5. Coping skills

Calm, peace of mind, and sense of tranquility result from the ability to cope well so that anxiety, worry, and/or fear are minimized. People who enjoy this state of mind typically have made an intention to learn how to be calm and peaceful. They know the value of solitude and finding time to experience stillness and absence of the multitude of stimuli that can disturb our minds, bodies, and spirits - like cell phones, computers, and email. Finding a balance between the high-tech, busy world and the world of peace and quiet is a challenge worth taking on for anyone who strives for optimal health, happiness, and success.

Good coping skills allow an individual to also constructively deal with feelings of anger or frustration. Anger is a normal human emotion that is simply a response to hurt, frustration, or fear. How we "act out" our anger can be constructive or destructive to our physical and psychological health and to our relationships with others. Put simply, anger is a powerful force that can drive us to do good or to do bad. The problem does not he in anger per se, but in its unrestrained power that can, at times, overwhelm us and compromise our capacity to think clearly and make sound judgments. Frequent anger and "acting out" episodes are the result of poor coping skills. Developing good coping skills allows us to deal with the stressors of daily life. Examples of healthy coping techniques are putting trust in Allah, assessing any difficulty in a realistic way and putting it in a healthy perspective, focusing on the things one can be thankful for, regular physical exercise, relaxation techniques, and positive, affirming self-talk.

6. Assertiveness and Confidence

Assertiveness is the capacity and willingness to honestly express your views and opinions, your feelings and your needs. It is important to distinguish between assertiveness and aggressiveness. Aggression typically involves hostility and a sense of coercion. The tone and attitude of assertiveness convey a confidence in yourself and a willingness to be heard, to be considered, to be recognized. Being assertive means that you don't shy away from situations that are uncomfortable, and that you are able to navigate or even negotiate your way through to resolution and understanding. This skill is essential in the marriage relationship so that each spouse is able to express him or herself and articulate their needs.

7. Achievement Orientation and Goal-Setting

Setting goals and striving to achieve them is an aspect of daily living that provides motivation, an experience of life "as process," and the fulfillment one feels when a goal is achieved. The Qur'an says that "...man can have nothing but what he strives for" [53:39]. Goal-setting helps a person determine what is important to him or her, and what one's purpose is on a short-term and a long-term basis. The process of choosing, articulating, and following through on a plan of action toward a particular result brings about the rewards of accomplishment and also the increased self-confidence of knowing that one is moving forward, enriching the self, and aiming for excellence. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "Actions are but by intention, and every man shall have but that which he intended" (Bukhari and Muslim).

8. Happiness

Happiness has many facets such as joy, contentment, and optimism. The dictionary tells us that happiness results from the possession or attainment of what one considers good. So to a large degree, happiness depends upon what one attaches value to. If a person takes pleasure in feeling relaxed, putting things in perspective so that one does not get thrown off by whatever befalls him or her, whether good or bad, easy or difficult; if a person finds countless things, however small, for which to be thankful; if a person pursues goals that bring fulfillment-then happiness becomes a practical matter of making these experiences an enjoyable habit of living.

Happiness is not a mood. It is more a spiritual approach to life. It is a mindset that facilitates, feeds, and enhances the feeling of positive and enjoyable well-being. True happiness does not come with what one has acquired-whether possessions, or prestige, or power. It comes with what one has actualized in the self or soul. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "True richness is the richness of the soul" (Bukhari and Muslim). It comes with choosing the essential over the superficial. It comes from emptying the heart of all turmoil, the mind of all addictions, and the behavior of all need to dominate others or inclination to victimize. It has been said that happiness is "when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." Exploring one's self with regard to each of the above eight categories is a profound way to increase self-knowledge. Imam ibn Al-Qayyim said that whoever does not know himself does not know Allah. But, of course, this must be knowledge of the heart, not of the tongue. We are talking about knowledge which elevates and transforms the soul. Al-Hassan Al-Basri said: "There are two kinds of knowledge- knowledge of the tongue and knowledge of the heart, which is the beneficial knowledge. Knowledge of the heart raises people in rank. It is the inner knowledge which is absorbed by the heart and puts it right. Knowledge of the tongue is taken lightly by the people- neither those who possess it, nor anyone else, act upon it."

A story illustrates this. Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali (d. 505 AH /1111 C.E.) used to travel from village to village, his donkey loaded with the books he proudly collected, evidence of his vast knowledge-so he thought! One day robbers stole his donkey and all his books. He was grateful that they had spared his life, but he realized that when his books were gone, so was his so-called knowledge. He realized that he had never taken to heart the knowledge in the volumes of books he carried from village to village. He vowed from that moment forward that he would acquire only one book, and when he had mastered and put into practice the knowledge in that one book, only then would he acquire another.

We can do the same with each of the eight aspects listed above. We can work on improving ourselves with regard to being open to new experience and change (aspect #1), examining ourselves in this regard on a daily basis, reading and researching more about what it means to be committed to lifelong personal growth and transformation, and putting into practice whatever we learn and making sure it is knowledge of the heart, and then move on to the next aspect. This is a wonderful way to guard the relationship with one's self!

18 Reasons Why Muslims Should Fast in Ramadan


O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint. [Quran 2:183]

Ramadan is a month of fasting and prayers for the Muslims. The fast consists of total abstinence from food and drink from dawn to dusk. There is, however, a greater significance to fasts than mere abstinence from eating and drinking. The real objective of fasts is to inculcate in man the spirit of abstinence from sins and of cultivation of virtue. Thus the Qur'an declares that the fasts have been prescribed with a view to developing piety in man, as is clear from the verse quoted at the top of this page.

How are the many facets of piety sought to be cultivated through the fasts?

The prime consideration in undertaking fast, as in any act of devotion, is to seek NEARNESS TO GOD and beseech HIS PLEASURE and FORGIVENESS. This itself generates a spirit of piety in man.

The willful creation of the stringent conditions of hunger and thirst for one's own self, simply in obedience to the Divine Order, measures the FAITH of man in God and helps to strengthen it by putting it to a severe test.

Fasting enhances through creation of artificial non-availability, the value of the bounties of God, which man is apt to take for granted in the midst of plentiful availability, and thus inculcates in man a spirit of GRATITUDE and consequent DEVOTION to GOD. Nothing else can bring home to man the worth of God's bounties than a glass of water and a square meal after a day‑long fast. This also reminds man that the real joy in enjoying God's bounties lies in MODERATION and RESTRAINT and not in OVER INDULGENCE.

Fasting makes us deeply conscious of the pangs of hunger and discomfort suffered by the less fortunate among our brethren, who may have to put up with such stringent conditions all through their lives it thus enkindles in man a spirit of SACRIFICE leading to CHARITY towards his suffering brethren.

Fasting affords man an unfailing training in ENDURANCE i.e. a SPIRIT OF. ACCEPTANCE of the inevitable, which could well prepare him to put up with the unchangeable situations in life in the same spirit of RESIGNATION as cultivated during the fasts.

Fasting develops COURAGE, FORTITUDE and a FIGHTING SPIRIT IN man to surmount the heavy odds in life with a cool and tranquil mind. It sharpens his, power of CONCENTRATION to overcome obstacles, through a vigorous exercise all through the month, leading to a steeling of his WILL POWER and RESOLVE, which could help him in trying situations in actual life. It is seen that many an undesirable habit which is found hard to leave, is more easily left off during the days of fasting.

Fasting teaches man RELIANCE on God and CONFIDENCE in HIM in facing the bitter situations in life with the comforting thought that these too, ordained by Him, could well be surmounted through His assistance alone, even as the rigorous state of fasting for a complete month. For, fasting develops the quality of PATIENCE in man, with the realization that, as the days of fasting, though seeming unending do have a successful and, so are all the bitter situations in life. It therefore infuses a spirit of GOOD CHEER, (driving away BITTERNESS and DESPAIR) in his attitude towards life and in his demeanor towards others. \

Through quick alternation of the state of plenty and of scarcity, fasting seeks to inculcate in man the right type of attitude in different situations in life of GRATITUDE and THANKSGIVING in plenty and of PATIENCE and FORBEARANCE in difficulty.

Fasting is meant to CONQUER ANGER, not to augment it, and to develop SELF CONTROL in man; for the vigorous effort of willfully putting up with a continued state of hunger and thirst can well be extended to conquer other infirmities of human character that lead man into error and sin.

Fasting inculcates a spirit of TOLERANCE in man to face unpleasant conditions and situations without making his fellow-being the victim of his wrath on account of his adverse conditions, such as deprivation of his basic needs of life, which constitutes the common cause of dissension among men.

Fasting MELLOWS a man and enhances his character, giving jolt to the human instincts of 'PRIDE, HAUGHTINESS, ENVY and AMBITION, for when fasting, a man's energies are too sapped to follow these instincts which are the chief causes of discord and conflict among men.

Fasting exposes the weakness of man in the event of his being deprived of but two of the bounties of God those of food and drink; it thus infuses in him a spirit of MEEKNESS and SUBMISSION, generating HUMILITY and PRAYER in an otherwise arrogant man.

Fasting breathes the spirit of FORGIVENESS in man towards his subordinates, as he himself seeks God's FORGIVENESS through fasts and prayers.

Fasting affords lessons in PUNCTUALITY through man's strict adherence to various time schedules in the observance of fasts and offering of prayers.

Fasting can be made to effect ECONOMY in an individual's life, which can be extended to wider spheres.

Fasting enforces in man rigid DISCIPLINE mental, spiritual and physical a trait of character which forms an essential ingredient to success in human life.

Fasting provides LEISURE, that could he gainfully employed in devotional or intellectual pursuits. The month long duration of fasts creates a proper climate for the SPIRITUAL REFORMATION in man, infusing in him a spirit of enthusiasm and zest to turn over a new leaf an opportunity provided every year.

On the physical side, fasting cleanses the human system of the accumulated impurities of uninterrupted eating throughout the year. It prepares the body for toughness and hardihood to face disease or conditions of scarcity. The rigid abstinence that the fast provides, regulates man's HEALTH, sharpens has INTELLECT, gives spurt to his SPIRITUALLY and enhances the qualities of his HEART. With the cleansing of the human body, it paves the way for its easy and effective rebuilding through meals at the end of the day or after the month is over.
*****

Source: Jamiatul Ulama (Council of Muslim Theologians), Johannesburg, South Africa.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Tamakninah, rukun solat yang sering diabaikan



Assamalualaikum warahmatullah,

Alhamdulillah, kita berjumpa lagi di hari Jumaat yang mulia ini. Hari ini saya membaca artikel di belog pemangkin minda, Ustaz Baei, ada cerita sedikit fasal perkara penting yang wajib kita ambil tahu.

Sebelum itu, izinkan saya memetik fakta yang diperolehi daripada satu kajian yang telah dibuat oleh pakar motivasi terkenal, Dato’ Dr Mohd Fadzilah Kamsah berkenaan solat orang Muslim di Malaysia. Rujuk entry : Betullah orang Malaysia semakin gila!. Menurut kajian beliau yang saya simpulkan di sini :

1.80% umat Islam di Malaysia masih tidak menyempurnakan solat lima waktu sehari
2.hanya 17~20% sahaja yang cukup menunaikan solat fardu lima waktu sehari
3.hanya 15% pelajar sahaja mengaku mengerjakan solat lima kali sehari
Hemmm… Menakutkan! Ini secebis fakta tentang umat yang mengaku Islam [NB: Islam baka?] yang meninggalkan solat. Persoalannya, daripada 20% yang mengerjakan ibadah solat ini, kekhusyukannya dan kesempurnaannya pula, bagaimana?

Cukuplah cerita yang tidak berapa sedap tangan hendak menulis dan pedih pula mata pengujung hendak membacanya… saya ingin mengajak diri sendiri dan juga pengunjung belog membuat sedikit revision ulangkaji tentang ibadah solat. Mudah-mudahan kita dapat menjaga kesempurnaan ibadah ini, insya Allah.

Solat yang sempurna adalah solat yang berkualiti dan solat sebeginilah, solat yang diterima oleh Allah. Apakah yang menjadikan solat itu berkualiti? Inilah persoalan yang seharusnya difikirkan oleh umat Islam sebelum melaksanakan solat. Mengapa?

Solat tanpa kualiti akan menyebabkan umat Islam terus terjebak dengan dosa walaupun mereka melakukan solat, sebagaimana Allah SWT berfirman mafhumnya, “Bacalah apa yang telah diwahyukan kepadamu, iaitu al-Kitab (al-Quran) dan dirikanlah solat. Sesungguhnya solat itu mencegah dari (perbuatan-perbuatan) keji dan mungkar. Dan sesungguhnya mengingat Allah (solat) adalah lebih besar (keutamaannya dari ibadat-ibadat yang lain). Dan Allah mengetahui apa yang kamu kerjakan.” (Surah al-Ankabuut 29:45)

Kualiti pada solat dinilai pada tiga perkara:

1. Hatinya ketika niat solat.

Seseorang yang niatnya untuk menghadap Allah dengan hati yang ikhlas itulah niat yang berkualiti. Di sini ada juga yang berniat solat dalam keadaan terpaksa, malu alah dengan orang lain. Jadi, bersihkan hati dengan penuh bersedia untuk solat.

2. Perbuatan solatnya mengikut rukunnya.

Rukun solat sebanyak 13 perlu dilakukan dengan sebaiknya. Kualiti solat bergantung kepada perbuatan berdiri, rukuk dan sujud juga tamakninah. Semua itu telah diajarkan oleh Rasulullah melalui contoh solat Baginda. Sabdanya, “Solatlah seperti mana kamu melihat aku solat.”

3. Bacaan pada setiap pergerakan solatnya.

Bacaan dalam solat sama ada wajib atau sunat perlu dibaca dengan baik. Sebutannya mesti betul dan ada maknanya. Memang ada sesetengah orang yang oleh sebab telah menghafalnya bertahun-tahun, tersilap sebutannya. Kalau dia mahu membaca buku doa semula, tentu akan bertemu kesilapannya dan boleh membetulkan kesilapan itu. Ini jugalah yang menentukan kualiti solat.

Check list rukun solat

Rukun solat ertinya tiang solat, iaitu beberapa perkara dan perbuatan tertentu dalam solat. Jika salah satu rukun (perbuatan atau perkataan) tertinggal, maka solat itu tidak sah hukumnya. Adapun rukun solat itu 13 perkara iaitu:

1.Berniat
2.Berdiri betul
3.Membaca takbiratul-ihram
4.Membaca al Fatihah
5.Rukuk dan tamakninah
6.Iktidal dan tamakninah
7.Sujud adan tamakninak
8.Duduk antara dua sujud dan tamakninah
9.Duduk yang akhir
10.Membaca tasyahud akhir
11.Mengucapkan selawat atas Nabi SAW
12.Salam yang pertama
13.Tertib


~ ayam patuk tanah ~

Pernahkah anda melihat ayam yang mematuk tanah mencari cacing? Tak pernah? Alahai... orang bandar ya.... Ayam yang kita kenali sudah siap disembelih dan dibersihkan. Ada juga ayam yang sudah siap dimasak untuk terus dimakan... OK, pernahkah anda melihat bagaimana seekor ayam makan? Jika tidak secara ‘live’, tentu pernah melihatnya di kaca tv, ek…? Ayam yang sedang makan, ia mematuk-matuk dengan cepat, hingga saya sendiri tidak tahu sama ada ia sempat menelan benda yang dipatuknya kerana ia sudahpun membuat patukan yang lain pula… Namun tak pernah saya melihat ayam tersedak atau tercekik.... Maaf, melalutlah pulak…

Berbalik kepada cerita tentang ibadah solat, perasankah, ada di antara kita yang bersolat seperti ayam mematuk makanan?! Ini saya namakan ‘solat ayam patuk’ atau ‘solat express’… Ya! Ramai di antara kita dalam solatnya tidak melaksanakan tamakninah seperti ketika rukuk, iktidal dan sujud. Sedarkah kita sekiranya kita ber‘solat express’, ini menyebabkan kita meninggalkan perbuatan rukun yang mana jika ditinggalkan, solat kita TIDAK SAH.

Apakah yang dimaksudkan tamakninah?

Tamakninah dalam bahasa mudah bererti ‘bertenang’, orang putih sebut ‘ease’. Tamakninah ialah berhenti sebentar, sekadar sebutan ‘subhanallah’ sedang anggota berat hendaklah berhenti membuat sebarang pergerakan.

Anggota berat yang dimaksudkan itu ialah kedua tangan hingga ke pergelangan tangan dan kaki. Sekiranya anggota ini bergerak semasa rukuk tanpa berhenti, maka belum lagi dinamakan tamakninah. Kalau pergerakan ini berlaku tiga kali berturut-turut maka batallah solatnya. Anggota ringan ialah jari, lidah, kelopak mata dan zakar. Jika anggota ini banyak pergerakannya, maka tidak batal solatnya, tapi hanya makruh. Ibarat anda memandu sebuah kenderaan, maka pada waktu di persimpangan wajar hentikan kereta sepenuhnya sebelum bergerak semula. Selagi kenderaan itu masih bergerak, tidaklah dikira tamakninah. Begitulah seharusnya berlaku dalam solat.

Oleh sebab tamakninah sebahagian daripada rukun solat maka pengabaiannya boleh membatalkan solat. Hal ini sering diabaikan kerana kurang pendedahan semasa belajar. Kesannya, ramai yang tidak sedar bahawa solatnya tidak sah. Bayangkan jika kita bersolat sepanjang hayat tetapi kita diibaratkan seperti ayam yang mematuk tanah... Adalah solat kita diterima Allah...?

Di sini disenaraikan tempat yang perlu tamakninah dan kesilapan yang sering terjadi.

1. Rukuk, sewaktu kedudukan tulang belakang sudah sama dan kedua tangan memegang kepala lutut, sepatutnya hentikan pergerakan kasar seketika. Itulah kadar tamakninah yang barangkali sempat dia membaca subhanallah.

2. Iktidal, pergerakan bermula daripada keadaan rukuk kembali menegak dan meluruskan semula tulang belakang seperti dia berdiri sebelum ini. Sempurna berdiri dahulu dan itulah kadar tamakninah.

3. Sujud, sewaktu semua anggota sujud yang tujuh (dua tangan, dua lutut, dua kaki dan satu dahi) mencecah lantai, hentikan sebarang gerakan seketika. Keadaan tenang itulah kadar tamakninah.

4. Sujud kali kedua, sewaktu semua anggota sujud yang tujuh (dua tangan, dua lutut, dua kaki dan satu dahi) mencecah lantai, hentikan sebarang gerakan seketika. Keadaan itulah kadar tamakninah.

5. Duduk antara dua sujud, sewaktu duduk sambil membaca doa, “rabbighfirli...” tidak mungkin berlaku pergerakan anggota besar, apatah lagi tangan diletakkan di atas paha. Keadaan setenang itulah tamakninah yang harus dipatuhi.

Berikut adalah tempat yang sering diabaikan tamakninah:

1. Iktidal, terdapat sesetengah orang terutama orang tua, apabila bangun daripada rukuk kepada iktidal, belum sempat tulang belakangnya lurus seperti sebelumnya, dia telah turun untuk sujud. Solat ini tidak sah kerana tidak berlaku tamakninah.

2. Iktidal, terdapat juga sesetengah orang sama ada orang muda mahupun orang tua, apabila bangun daripada rukuk kepada iktidal, tangannya diayunkan berkali-kali dan belum sempat tangan itu berhenti, dia telah turun untuk sujud. Solat ini juga tidak sah kerana tidak berlaku tamakninah.

3. Sujud, waktu sujud dua kakinya dibiarkan bergerak-gerak dan ada yang mengangkatnya (tidak mencecahkan jari kaki ke lantai). Sujud dalam keadaan ini tidak sempurna kerana syarat sah sujud bila tujuh anggota sujud mencecah ke lantai. Pada masa yang sama solat itu sah kerana tidak berlaku tamakninah.

Selain itu, sewaktu kita bangun daripada sujud kedua kepada rukun berdiri tegak untuk rakaat seterusnya tidak ada tamakninah. Namun untuk lebih bersopan kita disunatkan duduk sebentar yang perbuatan itu diberi nama duduk istirahat. Duduk yang dimaksudkan ini bukan tetap seperti yang dilakukan ketika duduk antara dua sujud tetapi sekadar berhenti. Ibarat anda memandu kereta, pada persimpangan yang tidak sebuk anda membrekkan kenderaan tetapi tayarnya masih bergerak. Wallahu ‘alam.

Langkah-langkah memelihara hikmah solat

Ada beberapa hal yang perlu kita perhatikan di saat melaksanakan ibadah solat agar hikmah di dalamnya selalu terjaga.

Pertama: Menjaga rukun-rukun, perkara-perkara wajib dan sunat solat.

Rasulullah SAW bersabda: “Solatlah kamu sebagaimana kamu melihatku solat.”

Kedua: Ikhlas, khusyuk dan menghadirkan hati
“Padahal mereka tidak disuruh kecuali supaya menyembah Allah dengan memurnikan ketaatan kepada-Nya dalam (menjalankan) agama yang lurus, dan supaya mereka mendirikan shalat dan menunaikan zakat; dan yang demikian itulah agama yang lurus.” (Surah al-Bayyinah 98:5)

Ketiga: Memahami dan mentadabburkan ayat, doa dan makna solat

“Maka kecelakaanlah bagi orang-orang yang solat, (iaitu) orang-orang yang lalai dari solatnya.” (Surah al-Maa‘uun 107:4-5)

Kempat: Mengagungkan Allah dan merasakan kehebatan Allah

Sabda Rasulullah SAW yang bermaksud, “…Kamu mengabdi kepada Allah seolah-olah kamu melihat-Nya dan apabila kamu tidak melihat-Nya, maka (yakinlah) bahwasanya Allah melihat kamu…” (Hadis riwayat Muslim)

Semoga kita semua mampu merenungkan kembali pengertian solat dan memperbaiki ibadah ini, mudah-mudahan kita benar-benar meraih keagungan hikmah-hikmah solat yang dijanjikan Allah SWT. Amiin.

~Laman Seri~

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Bongkar:RAHSIA teknik pembinaan Phyramid di dalam Al Quran

Oleh: anakbilis


"Penelitian terbaru mengatakan bahwa piramid dibangun dari tanah liat yang panas! Dan yang sangat menakjubkan adalah bahwa Alquran telah mengungkap fakta ini dengan sangat jelas sesuai dengan ungkapan Firaun saat itu... namun sebelum ini, mari kita merenungkan apa yang para ilmuwan temukan baru-baru ini...

Dalam edisi tanggal (1 Desember 2006) akhbar Amerika Times menerbitkan berita ilmiah yang mengesahkan bahwa Firaun menggunakan tanah liat untuk membangunkan piramid! Menurut penelitian Amerika-Perancis menyebutkan bahwa batu yang digunakan untuk membuat piramid, sebelumnya telah dilemparkan di bawah kayu lalu dipanaskan sehingga membentuk batu keras yang hampir normal.

Para ilmuwan mengatakan bahwa Firaun mahir dalam ilmu kimia dan mengelola tanah liat dan kaedah yang mereka gunakan masih menjadi rahsia dan tidak diizinkan untuk diakseskan keatasnya . Profesor Gilles Hug, dan Michel Profesor Barsoum menegaskan bahwa Piramid yang paling besar di Giza itu terbuat dari dua jenis batu: batu alam dan batu-batu yang dibuat secara manual.
Dan dalam penelitian yang dikeluarkan oleh majalah “Journal of American Ceramic Society” menegaskan bahwa Firaun menggunakan jenis tanah slurry untuk membangunkan monumen yang tinggi secara umum, dan membangunkan piramid secara khususnya. Kerana tidak mungkin bagi seseorang untuk mengangkat batu berat ribuan Kilogram, dan inilah yang membuat Firaun menggunakan batu alam untuk membangun dasar Piramid dari lumpur yg dibakar untuk diletakkan di tempat yang paling tinggi.

Setelah berhasil mencampur lumpur dan kapur di tungku perapian yang dipanaskan dengan wap air garam sehingga membentuk campuran tanah liat, maka akan dilakukan template diatas kayu dan dituangkan dalam tempat yang disediakan di dinding piramid.

Seorang Profesor Prancis Joseph Davidovits telah melakukan eksperimen selama dua puluh tahun lamanya dan menemukan bahwa piramid dibangun dari lumpur, terutama dibahagian yang tinggi piramid di mana sulit untuk menaikkan batu alam. Profesor Davidovits telah mengambil batu piramid yang terbesar untuk dilakukan analisis dengan menggunakan mikroskop electron terhadap batu tersebut dan menemukan batu tersebut terbuat dari lumpur, sedangkan ahli geologi sampai baru-baru ini, belum memiliki kemampuan untuk membezakan antara batu alam dan batu buatan dengan cara ini, tetapi hari ini mereka sudah boleh membezakan hasil teknologi moden.

Kerana itu Professor Davidovits kembali membuat batu besar dengan kaedah ini dalam waktu sepuluh hari. Seorang ilmuwan Belgia Guy Demortier yang sebelum ini pada waktu yang lama mempertanyakan kesahihan penelitian ini berkata: Setelah bertahun-tahun melakukan kajian sekarang saya baru yakin bahwa piramid yang terletak di Mesir dibuat dengan menggunakan tanah liat.

The colorized scanning electron microscope image shows the pyramid's "innercasing" limestone, including amorphous silica (red) that cements the limestone aggregates (black) together. Credit: Michel Barsoum, Drexel University. http://www.livescience.com

Sebuah penelitian yang luas tentang piramid di Bosnia, "Piramid Matahari" dan menjelaskan bahwa batu-batunya terbuat dari tanah liat! Ini menegaskan bahwa kaedah ini tersebar luas di masa lalu.

Keajaiban Al-Qur'an mendahului penemuan ilmiah Banyak ayat-ayat Al-Qur’an telah menunjukkan fakta pembinaan piramid dan bangunan tinggi yg lain, dalam hal ini Allah berfirman:

وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرِي فَأَوْقِدْ لِي يَا هَامَانُ عَلَى الطِّينِ فَاجْعَلْ لِي صَرْحًا لَعَلِّي أَطَّلِعُ إِلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ

“Dan berkata Fir'aun: "Hai pembesar kaumku, aku tidak mengetahui Tuhan bagimu selain aku. Maka bakarlah Hai Haman untukku tanah liat kemudian buatkanlah untukku bangunan yang Tinggi supaya aku dapat naik melihat Tuhan Musa, dan Sesungguhnya aku benar-benar yakin bahwa Dia Termasuk orang-orang pendusta". (Al-Qashash:38)

Dalam ayat ini menunjukkan tentang teknologi pembangunan yang digunakan untuk bangunan tinggi sebuah monumen seperti firman Allah: “buatkanlah untukku bangunan yang Tinggi” dan kata bangunan secara bahasa adalah setiap bangunan tinggi.

Teknik ini didasarkan pada lumpur dan panas seperti dalam ayat: “Maka bakarlah Hai Haman untukku tanah liat” Subhanallah! Ada bukti yang menunjukkan bahwa patung-patung raksasa dan tiang-tiang yang ditemukan dalam peradaban Rumania dan yang lainnya juga dibangun dari tanah liat!

Dapat dikatakan: Bahwa keajaiban Al Qur'an menunjukkan bahwa cara untuk membangun bangunan-bangunan dari tanah liat dan ini yang tidak diketahui pada waktu turunnya Alquran, Kebenaran ilmiah yang telah diterbitkan dalam abad kedua puluh satu telah disebutkan dalam Alquran sejak empat belas abad yang lalu …. Kebenaran ilmiah yang telah diterbitkan dalam abad kedua puluh satu telah disebutkan dalam Alquran sejak empat belas abad yang lalu.

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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Preparing for the Month of Mercy


A lot of us yearn to prepare for Ramadan, but we have no idea how to start. Below are a few tips to insha'Allah (Allah willing) help prepare our minds and hearts for this upcoming Month of Mercy.

Make the Intention

Simple to do, with a powerful impact. Maybe you want to prepare for Ramadan, but between school, work, family, and your other activities, you just have no idea how to fit in 'prepare for Ramadan' time. Instead of separating 'prepare for Ramadan' from your daily activities, make your daily activities a MEANS of preparation for Ramadan.

For example, perhaps your mom asked you to pick up your brother from school on the day you finally had time to read a few extra pages of Qur'an. Instead of feeling upset as if you have lost a great opportunity to prepare for Ramadan, make the intention that you are picking up your brother to please Allah and prepare for Ramadan by obeying your mother, helping your family members, building ties of kinship...and the list continues.

The point is that preparing for Ramadan does not have to be some magnificent, enormous, extra-special thing that needs to be done at a certain time of the day. Many of your daily actions can be turned into Ramadan preparation actions with a sincere intention insha'Allah.

Do these Easy-to-Reap-Reward Actions

Ask Allah to forgive your brothers and sisters. "Whoever seeks forgiveness for believing men and believing women, Allah will write for him a good deed for each believing man and believing woman." [at-Tabarani, classed as hasan by al-Albani]
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah radi allahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him) said "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever says subhan Allah wa bi hamdih (praise and glory be to Allah) 100 times, morning and evening, his sins will be erased even if they are like the foam on the sea." [Bukhari, Muslim]

If a person says, "Subhan Allah (glory be to Allah)," 100 times, a thousand good deeds are recorded for him and a thousand bad deeds are wiped away. [Muslim 2073]
Remember Allah when you go shopping. "Whoever enters a market and says: "Laa ilaha illallah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu yuhyi wa yumeetu wa huwa hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khair, wa huwa 'ala kulli shayin qadeer." [There is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner, to Him belongs dominion and praise; He causes life and death and He is the Living and does not die; in His Hand is all the good, and He is over all things competent] Allah will write for them a million good deeds and erase a million bad deeds and raise him a million levels." [at-Tirmidhi, classed as hasan by al-Albani]

Up Your Worship

To help condition your heart for this blessed month, intensify your worship before Ramadan begins. Just a small, consistent amount is enough. The Prophet told us: "The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small." (Bukhari, Muslim)

For example, say I always pray 2 rak`at (units )of sunnah (compulsory prayer) after ishaa' (the night prayer) from this day until Ramadan begins-and even through Ramadan, let me make the intention that I will now pray 2 extra rak`at of sunnah after ishaa'. And every time I pray these extra 2 rak`at, which are more than what I normally pray, let me remember that I am doing these with the intention of asking Allah to help me be prepared to strive and exert my utmost effort during Ramadan.

Make a Du`a' (prayer) List Today

This is THE MONTH to ask for EVERYTHING, both related to this life and the Next. Let us not wait until the last 10 nights to make special du`a', and then once `Eid passes realize that we completely forgot about fifty other things we needed to make du`a' for. Let's start making our lists now, and add to it as more things come our way. Insha'Allah this should help us remember to make constant du`a' in this month where dua`a' is accepted, and help our hearts pour out to the One Who can make those du`a' happen .

Write out Your Objectives for Ramadan

Praying all of your fard (obligatory) prayers? Praying all of your sunnahs? Reading the entire Qur'an? Giving $1 in charity a day? Making itikaaf (a time for reflection and prayer in seclusion) in the masjid? Leaving one serious sin that you've been trying to get away from for some time now? Sincerely turning back to Allah ? Write out a list, put it somewhere you will see it, and make du`a' for your success in fulfilling your objectives.

Make a Plan!

Look at your objectives and try to plan out how to realize them in this month. For example, perhaps you are really struggling to pray your sunnah prayers. In this month, realize the enormity of the ajr (reward) of praying the sunnah prayers. Think that perhaps these sunnah will be the deeds that will be heavy on your scale of good deeds when you are intensely in need of them-on Yawm al-Qiyamah, the Day of Judgment. Therefore, fight to keep doing them all throughout Ramadan. If you can't pray your 2 rak`at after dhuhr (the afternoon prayer) right away, make sure to do them as soon as you get the chance.

Your plan might look something like this:

Objective: Pray all of my fardh prayers.

Method: Envision myself on the Day of Judgment seeing the weight of praying my sunnah consistently during this month. Make sure to pray sunnah immediately after salah (prayer). If I cannot, do it as soon as the opportunity arises-don't let myself put it off!

Another example is that of finishing the Qur'an:

Objective: Finish the entire Qur'an in this month.

Method: Read 4 pages of the Qur'an after every salah. 5 prayers X 4 pages = 20 pages. 20 pages= about 1 juz. 1 juz X 30= the entire Qur'an.

So many Muslims have passed away since last month. So many people have not made it to Ramadan this year. Last year was their very last Ramadan. Will you make it to this Ramadan? Will this be your last Ramadan?

Aim to strive this Ramadan. With a very small amount of effort, such as just making a small intention or adding a few extra acts of worship, we pray that Allah will help our hearts soften and honor us with making it easy to turn to Him and open up to Him.

May Allah make us of the successful in Ramadan, and make it easy for us to turn to Him completely and perpetually. Ameen.

Source: SuhaibWebb - Maryam Amir-Ebrahimi
A lot of us yearn to prepare for Ramadan, but we have no idea how to start. Below are a few tips to insha'Allah (Allah willing) help prepare our minds and hearts for this upcoming Month of Mercy.

Make the Intention

Simple to do, with a powerful impact. Maybe you want to prepare for Ramadan, but between school, work, family, and your other activities, you just have no idea how to fit in 'prepare for Ramadan' time. Instead of separating 'prepare for Ramadan' from your daily activities, make your daily activities a MEANS of preparation for Ramadan.

For example, perhaps your mom asked you to pick up your brother from school on the day you finally had time to read a few extra pages of Qur'an. Instead of feeling upset as if you have lost a great opportunity to prepare for Ramadan, make the intention that you are picking up your brother to please Allah and prepare for Ramadan by obeying your mother, helping your family members, building ties of kinship...and the list continues.

The point is that preparing for Ramadan does not have to be some magnificent, enormous, extra-special thing that needs to be done at a certain time of the day. Many of your daily actions can be turned into Ramadan preparation actions with a sincere intention insha'Allah.

Do these Easy-to-Reap-Reward Actions

Ask Allah to forgive your brothers and sisters. "Whoever seeks forgiveness for believing men and believing women, Allah will write for him a good deed for each believing man and believing woman." [at-Tabarani, classed as hasan by al-Albani]
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah radi allahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him) said "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever says subhan Allah wa bi hamdih (praise and glory be to Allah) 100 times, morning and evening, his sins will be erased even if they are like the foam on the sea." [Bukhari, Muslim]

If a person says, "Subhan Allah (glory be to Allah)," 100 times, a thousand good deeds are recorded for him and a thousand bad deeds are wiped away. [Muslim 2073]
Remember Allah when you go shopping. "Whoever enters a market and says: "Laa ilaha illallah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu yuhyi wa yumeetu wa huwa hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khair, wa huwa 'ala kulli shayin qadeer." [There is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner, to Him belongs dominion and praise; He causes life and death and He is the Living and does not die; in His Hand is all the good, and He is over all things competent] Allah will write for them a million good deeds and erase a million bad deeds and raise him a million levels." [at-Tirmidhi, classed as hasan by al-Albani]

Up Your Worship

To help condition your heart for this blessed month, intensify your worship before Ramadan begins. Just a small, consistent amount is enough. The Prophet told us: "The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small." (Bukhari, Muslim)

For example, say I always pray 2 rak`at (units )of sunnah (compulsory prayer) after ishaa' (the night prayer) from this day until Ramadan begins-and even through Ramadan, let me make the intention that I will now pray 2 extra rak`at of sunnah after ishaa'. And every time I pray these extra 2 rak`at, which are more than what I normally pray, let me remember that I am doing these with the intention of asking Allah to help me be prepared to strive and exert my utmost effort during Ramadan.

Make a Du`a' (prayer) List Today

This is THE MONTH to ask for EVERYTHING, both related to this life and the Next. Let us not wait until the last 10 nights to make special du`a', and then once `Eid passes realize that we completely forgot about fifty other things we needed to make du`a' for. Let's start making our lists now, and add to it as more things come our way. Insha'Allah this should help us remember to make constant du`a' in this month where dua`a' is accepted, and help our hearts pour out to the One Who can make those du`a' happen .

Write out Your Objectives for Ramadan

Praying all of your fard (obligatory) prayers? Praying all of your sunnahs? Reading the entire Qur'an? Giving $1 in charity a day? Making itikaaf (a time for reflection and prayer in seclusion) in the masjid? Leaving one serious sin that you've been trying to get away from for some time now? Sincerely turning back to Allah ? Write out a list, put it somewhere you will see it, and make du`a' for your success in fulfilling your objectives.

Make a Plan!

Look at your objectives and try to plan out how to realize them in this month. For example, perhaps you are really struggling to pray your sunnah prayers. In this month, realize the enormity of the ajr (reward) of praying the sunnah prayers. Think that perhaps these sunnah will be the deeds that will be heavy on your scale of good deeds when you are intensely in need of them-on Yawm al-Qiyamah, the Day of Judgment. Therefore, fight to keep doing them all throughout Ramadan. If you can't pray your 2 rak`at after dhuhr (the afternoon prayer) right away, make sure to do them as soon as you get the chance.

Your plan might look something like this:

Objective: Pray all of my fardh prayers.

Method: Envision myself on the Day of Judgment seeing the weight of praying my sunnah consistently during this month. Make sure to pray sunnah immediately after salah (prayer). If I cannot, do it as soon as the opportunity arises-don't let myself put it off!

Another example is that of finishing the Qur'an:

Objective: Finish the entire Qur'an in this month.

Method: Read 4 pages of the Qur'an after every salah. 5 prayers X 4 pages = 20 pages. 20 pages= about 1 juz. 1 juz X 30= the entire Qur'an.

So many Muslims have passed away since last month. So many people have not made it to Ramadan this year. Last year was their very last Ramadan. Will you make it to this Ramadan? Will this be your last Ramadan?

Aim to strive this Ramadan. With a very small amount of effort, such as just making a small intention or adding a few extra acts of worship, we pray that Allah will help our hearts soften and honor us with making it easy to turn to Him and open up to Him.

May Allah make us of the successful in Ramadan, and make it easy for us to turn to Him completely and perpetually. Ameen.

Source: SuhaibWebb - Maryam Amir-Ebrahimi

Ramadhan: A Month of Longing


There's hidden sweetness in the stomach's emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less.
If the sound box is stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and belly are burning clean with fasting,
every moment a new song comes out of the fire.
--- Jalaluddin Rumi on fasting in Ramadan.

The blessed month of Ramadan is here again. Hundreds of millions of Muslims will fast for a month. They will abstain from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk. They will stand for hours in prayers each night to remember their Lord and express their gratitude to Him, seek His forgiveness and aspire to come closer to Him. The month of Ramadan is easily the World's largest and longest spiritual festival. Muslims strive hard in this month to re-sew the torn fabric of human spirituality even as political and material impulses asunder it.

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Quran instructs that its purpose is to teach Muslims self-restraint. The ritual involves systematic abstinence of things normal to body, mind and spirit. From dawn to dusk the limits are clear; no eating, no drinking, no sex, no fighting, no backbiting, no lying, no anger, no arrogance, no pride, no despair. In this month the sovereignty of the spirit over the body and the mind is reasserted to restore the divine order of things.

The point of the exercise for adult Muslims, who are healthy and able, is to develop a regimen of self-restraint and to inculcate a capacity to, borrowing a term from Plato, control one's appetites. The hope is that this mandatory regimen will become a habit and Muslims will spend the rest of the year in a state of high spiritual alert.

The easy part of the month of Ramadan is the physical part. After a week the body and the mind adjust and one rarely feels hungry or thirsty for most of the day. The last couple of hours are always tough, especially in the US where the days are long and the fasts last from fifteen to sixteen hours.

Ramadan is also the month in which most of the Muslim holy book -The Quran - was revealed. To celebrate the revelation of the Quran Muslims devote special prayers and try to find time to reread it and to recommit to its teaching and its commandments. After fasting all day, many men and women spend two to three hours every night reciting the chapters of the Quran in either congregational or individual prayers.

Muslims believe that Ramadan is a blessed month and the rewards for any good action is multiplied, so much of the annual obligatory and optional charity giving happens in Ramadan. This is a good time to do fund raising if Muslim donors are your target. Islam mandates obligatory giving of 2.5% of accumulated or surplus wealth called Zakat, and many Muslims give it in the month of Ramadan.

The more difficult parts are the one's that demand spiritual discipline. The struggle to control one's Id, to master one's anger and pride, to learn humility and to recognize the insignificance of the self in comparison to the awesome majesty of God, are qualities very difficult to muster. Sufis, Islamic mystics, practice self-renunciation as a means to escape the exile from God the life really is, but rarely succeed. It is not easy to become one with God in one month.

The entire purpose of the month, indeed of Islam itself is to bridge the existential gap between the created and the creator. As long as the created asserts her individual being, she remains distanced from the true Reality of being. The ultimate goal is to annihilate (Fana'a) one's own self in order to be united with the ultimate and the universal Self. The great Sufi Ibn Arabi captured this longing for unity with the divine more beautifully than anyone. He wrote in his The Secrets of Fasting:

My self, had it not been for you, I would not have been
as if I were Him,
were it not for you! Were it not for you!

Indeed the sense of longing for a taste of the Divine is never felt more acutely than it is in the month of Ramadan. In Ramadan we control our appetite for the created things with the fond hope that desire for the Creator will finally be satiated.

Those who fast with genuine dedication, those who struggle to conquer the self, those who fight to control their bodies, those who give charity and those who exercise humility; they do experience a feeling of cleansing, of purification, which is difficult to describe, but profoundly palpable.

At the end of the month, for some there is a feeling of lightness, as if the weight of impurities that one had been carrying and accumulating all the yearlong has been lifted. For others there is heaviness in the heart and one prays for one more chance to maybe get it right the next time.

******

Dr. Muqtedar Khan is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Delaware and Fellow of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. (www.ijtihad.org).

Ramadan Fast and Taqwa

7/19/2011 - Religious Education - Article Ref: IC1107-4770
Number of comments:
Opinion Summary: Agree: Disagree: Neutral:
By: Abdul-Majid Jaffry
IslamiCity* -


The Quran prescribes fasting for believers in these words, "O you who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as they were enjoined upon those before you, so that you may have taqwa" (2:183). Hence, the intent and effect of fasting as described in the ayah is to acquire taqwa. Presence of taqwa helps protect from committing sins and overcome the passions of flesh. There is no equivalent English word for taqwa. In Islamic terminology, taqwa refers to a state of consciousness where one constantly feels the presence of his Creator, obeys His commands to attain His pleasure, and avoids disobedience to Him, not only out of His fear but also for the love of Him.

Sayyidna Ubay Ibn Ka'b gave a comprehensive explanation of taqwa in response to a query from Hadrat Umar Farooq radi Allahu anhuma. Hadhrat Ka'b questioned, "O Amirul Momineen, have you ever walked on a path full of thorns?" Hadhrat Umar replied, "Yes". Hadrat Ka'b then enquired, "What did you do?" In reply, Hadhrat Umar stated, "I gathered my clothing and lifted it up to my shin, thereafter I watched my steps and took each step carefully from the fear of thorns lest they prick me". Hadrat Ka'b said, "This is taqwa".

In Hadrat Ka'b elucidation of taqwa, the world is a like a passage full of thorns (sins), a believer treads through it very carefully saving himself from the harm of sinful actions and attractions by adhering to the do's and don'ts of Islam.

Taqwa is a measure of a person's real worth. A slave with a higher level of taqwa is better than the master, and a pauper with greater conscious of Allah is more respectable than a prince. Allah judges a person's honor and esteem according to the level of his taqwa. In a hadith, Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wassalam tells us that some people, who are poor, weak, and have no position in society, if they take oath by Allah, Allah will fulfill it because of their purity and strength of piety (taqwa). In the sight of Allah, the honorable are not the ones with wealth and position, but with taqwa. The most honorable is the one with the most taqwa.

A belief in Allah, His Prophets, and His Books will save a person from eternal condemnation, but mere belief minus taqwa will not be enough to save him from the punishment in the hereafter, except the one on whom Allah has mercy. A conscientious Muslim strives to develop taqwa in his life for he knows, "Allah will deliver those who had taqwa to their place of salvation: no evil shall touch them, nor shall they grieve" (39:61), and, that Allah has prepared jannah for the muttaqeen, people of taqwa. (3:133)

Human beings are weak and susceptible to fall into errors and sin; it takes a little distraction and heedlessness to slip from virtue to vice and from piety to perversity. To protect men and women straying from the path of righteousness and falling into transgression, Islam has chalked out spiritual programs on a daily and yearly basis for its adherents, if followed sincerely and faithfully it will greatly minimize the chance of straying from the right course.

Among the various program intended to awaken the spiritual life of a believer, Ramadan, the month of fasting, contains the most intense training to instill taqwa in the hearts of believers.

The paramount significance of Ramadan can be seen from the love and yearning the Holy Prophet showed for the month. He used to start preparing for Ramadan two months in advance in Rajab with the supplication, "O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Sha'ban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan (allow us to live till coming Ramadan so that we may benefit from its blessings)."

Ramadan is a month of fasting from dawn to sunset. It is a month of special nightly prayers (travih). In one of its nights, good deeds performed are better than a thousand months of virtuous deeds. Itikaf, secluding into Masjid, away from worldly distractions, in the last ten days of Ramadan with the intention of seeking closeness to Allah, gives a tremendous boost to a believer's spiritual life. Umrah in the month of Ramadan is as one has performed hajj in the company of the Holy Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. A voluntary good deed in Ramadan merits the same reward as an obligatory act in any other month, and an obligatory deed is rewarded seventy times over.

Of all the pious exercises connected with Ramadan, fasting is the main feature and the only obligatory act of the holy month. The remaining activities are supererogatory but of immense importance and value in breathing new life into spiritual body that may have become dormant during the year.

As heart is the spiritual center of the human soul, the belly is the center of sensual appetite. When the belly is pampered, the fleshly desires are stimulated, which in turn may lead to sin and arrogance and disinvest one of taqwa. On the other hand, controlling one's appetite and eating just enough to satisfy hunger keeps a person away from lust and evil thoughts and the weakness of soul that comes with the over indulgence of food. A belly filled to brim tends to be rebellious, while a bit empty stomach remains calm and conforming.

Hence the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam advised moderation in consuming food and drink, he said, "A human being does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. Enough for the son of Adam are a few morsels to keep his back straight. If it cannot be avoided, then a third is for food, a third for drink, and a third for breath." He also said, "We are a people who do not eat until we are hungry and when we do eat, do not eat our fill."

As it is said that the "lusts of stomach leads to the lusts of the flesh"; satiety in food is sexual stimuli and sexual stimuli triggers sexual arousal. To an unmarried person gluttony may lead him to satisfy his desires in sinful ways. To reign in sexual temptations, fasting is recommended. Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "O young men! Whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and protecting one's chastity. Whoever cannot afford it, let him fast, for it will reduce his sexual desire".

Fasting in the ordinary sense of the word simply means depriving the flesh from the pleasure of food and drink. The Ramadan fast also means the same, however, the physical abstinence from food and drink in Ramadan, with the intent to obey and worship Allah, takes a higher and nobler dimension, it becomes the nourishment of the soul.

A fasting person's soul experiences an exhilarating sense of taqwa when on a long hot summer Ramadan day his throat is dry, stomach is growling, no one is watching him, and yet he abstains from taking a few sips of water or a few morsels of food. What makes him curb his desires in seclusion, away from the eyes of people? It is the consciousness of presence of Allah that causes him to control his hankering for sustenance and submit to Allah's Will and Command. The voluntary denial of food and water to body nourishes the soul to be strong and virtuous and become a shield against the evil thoughts and acts, and a mean to protect from the hellfire. This is what the Holy Prophet meant when he eloquently said, "Fasting is a shield."

However, a mere voluntarily abstaining from food and drink is not enough for the fast to be accepted or effective in purifying soul and inculcating taqwa. With giving up food and drink, it is imperative that the fasting person must also faithfully heed all prohibitions and perform all duties prescribed by Allah and His Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam made this point abundantly clear in more than one of his sayings. At one occasion he said, "Whoever does not give up vain speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his fasting", i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.

In an another hadith, the Holy Prophet warned, "How many persons fast and get nothing out of their fasting except hunger and thirst and how many persons pray at night and get nothing out of it except sleeplessness."

These and other ahadith tell a fasting person that the fast from food and drink must accompany the fast of tongue for his fast to be valid and beneficial. Fast of tongue means one should completely protect his speech from vain talk and foul language including lying and slandering. Also, fasting without the five daily obligatory prayers is of little avail; it becomes devoid of spiritual benefits.
The fasting in the blessed month of Ramadan is of vital importance among the scheme of things that Islam has planned for a believer to secure the motivation and acquire taqwa. If done properly, fast will take a believer forward to the next eleven months to live in Allah's Will.

Ramadan is aptly called a taqwa training month.

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Abdul-Majid Jaffry is a retired aerospace engineer and a freelance columnist.