I Reject Collective Guilt

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When I teach my 11-16 year old students English or Mathematics, I often at times ramble on other topics besides academia. Sometimes it would last for as long as the entire class duration, but which I feel is imperative during the period.

One topic that I often try to inject to these young ones is the danger of collective guilt, how to recognize when you hear one coming your way, and how to avoid it. Being a student of religion, I’ve heard too many times many asatizahs whom I’ve come to respect suddenly give a collective remark on a so-and-so and group of people, how they as a whole are negative, when in actual fact the perpetrators are but the few who hold power. My heart sores everytime when sometimes the collectivistic figure-pointing goes to collective humiliation, and the asatizah who should stand for someone guiding people towards the truth, displays tribalism mentality and mocks at the group, encouraging the entire class to laugh. There has not been a day when my heart has not sored hearing such laughter, an “us versus them” mentality.

I want to stand for the truth wherever that takes me, and not for enclaves.

Whenever you see something bad, do not mock, scorn nor humiliate the person. Recognize the act itself please, and advise the person to the best of your abilities by your hands, tongue or heart. If you are a teacher of any sorts, and especially religion, please don’t encourage your class to laugh at others, don’t encourage your class to continuously view a community as bad and such, even if they are from another religion. How many great converts we have seen who now spread the message of Islam far and wide, who have come from the so called “bad people”. Wouldn’t it be sad if days before God brought light into their hearts, our mouths had cursed and laughed at them.

I hold no grudge against some of those who have taught me and yet sometimes slip to such behaviour. I have slipped into such behaviour too. They are human too, and I pray God helps them find it in their hearts to take care of their tongues, and that He takes care of ours too.

A God-fearing person, seeing a negative act committed by a person, will never turn to mocking nor humiliating the subject in question, because he knows that he too has done something of those sorts in the past, and that there is nothing to prevent him from committing that in the future.

Bismillahi-tawakkaltu ‘alallah, laa haula walaa quwwata illa billaah. In the name of Allah, I depend on Allah. there is no power and might except from Allah.

How Not To Learn Arabic (Plus A Good Software To Learn With Too)

If you’re like me and you’re trying your best to learn Arabic well, you’d try all sorts of things.

Today was another fine example of a stunt gone wrong. I tuned into SaudiSports Channel on my pc (because I thought my local channel wasn’t showing it, and yes, lo and behold, the one that was offering had to be a Saudi channel) and while waiting for the match between Singapore and Saudi, I witnessed two grown men in a rather serious talkshow discussing on a few images…. while playing Jenga (I believe that’s what it’s called, that block game where you stack them up nicely and then remove one block at the time trying your best not to topple the whole thing). Really.

Now, the program itself is besides the point (Arabic talkshow + host questioning the guest intensely, WHILE playing Jenga = nearly panadol extra experience). After that brain-bamboozling experience was the match itself. I don’t think I did manage to prove that learning Arabic by hearing Arabic soccer commentary was good though… but I did prove that soccer is truly a universal game that breaks all boundaries haha, well, since I could understand the game anyway. (…)

Here is I think a better way to improve your Arabic. It’s called VerbAce, an Arabic to English or English to Arabic translator with word power that packs quite a punch. With its free one year trial (one year trial, when was the last time you heard that one), it’s a good download definitely. Thank you to an ustaz who forwarded me this piece of software.

You can read more about the software and download it here.

Prayer Mat Displays Number of Raka’at Completed

I’ve got no comments on this one. =)

Here’s the link though: http://www.google.com/patents?id=OQsRAAAAEBAJ

Promotions versus Arrogance

Promotions is the act of communicating value, and not deceit. The key phrase is “value communication”, and you do what you can to find ways and means so that the message can reach out to others who can then benefit. Your aim, is to help them, so that they can live their lives better.

However when that guiding fundamental principle of communicating value is lost, the compass then begins to spin. You now start designing and promoting so that others can get to know you rather than receive the benefit per se. In a nutshell, your purpose in promotions now is to feel with pride that others know who you are. The power then that you feel from the many eyes looking at you makes you feel “high”… somehow.

Especially for those in the fields of business and marketing; constantly remind yourselves of God’s words and guidelines when money and promotions is involved. Do not listen to the whispers that make you happy because others know who you are whenever that advertisement makes it to the papers. Do not feel that you’ve been brought to a higher station when you receive wealth and exposure and at moments when times are down, you feel disappointed. From my own experience, the whispers get louder as you do more. That’s the challenge. The phrase “This world is not fair” so commonly used should be no stranger to us Muslims, cause the we know for certain this world is THE TEST. We believe this world is a challenge, and it’s guised even in times of joy. That’s the reality, and certainly not the sad truth cause we know that something comes AFTER that. (This I feel is a good way to advise some of us who love to whine about how terrible life has been to wake up and smell the flowers of faith.)

Ultimately the challenge ends when you enter the gates of paradise:

“Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens), which they shall enter and (also) those who acted righteously from among their fathers, and their wives, and their offspring. And angels shall enter unto them from every gate (saying): (23) “Salâmun ‘Alaikum (peace be upon you) for that you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!” (24)”

[13:23-24]

So as long as you are here on beautiful earth, keep that defence up as best as you can. If you’re a businessman, remember that your bottom line, your return on assets, your ultimate profit is not on your balance sheet on earth. Yes, positive cashflows is good. However keep your promotion efforts on earth and your eyes on the bigger prize…

A positive hereafter.

“As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and bounties, then he says (in): “My Lord has honoured me.” (15) But when He tries him, by straitening his means of life, he says: “My Lord has humiliated me!” (16) Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity (i.e. you neither treat them well, nor give them their exact right of inheritance)! (17) And urge not one another on the feeding of AlMiskîn (the poor)! (18) And you devour inheritance all with greed, (19) And you love wealth with much love!”

[89:15-20]

“As for him who gives out and is godfearing and confirms the Good, We will pave his way to Ease,”

[92:5-7]

“The most godfearing will be far removed from it: those who give their wealth to purify themselves ­ not to repay someone else for a favour done ­ desiring only the Face of their Lord Most High. They will certainly be satisfied.”

[92:17-21]

“If you make your sadaqa public, that is good. But if you conceal it and give it to the poor, that is better for you, and We will erase some of your bad actions from you. Allah is aware of everything you do.”

[W2:270; H2:272]

The first person judged on Resurrection Day will be a man martyred in battle.

He will be brought forth, Allah will reacquaint him with His blessings upon him and the man will acknowledge them, whereupon Allah will say, “What have you done with them?” to which the man will respond, “I fought to the death for You.”

Allah will reply, “You lie. You fought in order to be called a hero, and it has already been said.” Then he will be sentenced and dragged away on his face and flung into the fire.

Then a man will be brought forward who learned Sacred Knowledge, taught it to others, and who recited the Qur’an. Allah will remind him of His gifts to him and the man will acknowledge them, and then Allah will say, “What have you done with them?” The man will answer, “I acquired Sacred Knowledge, taught it, and recited the Qur’an, for Your sake.”

Allah will say, “You lie. You learned so as to be called a scholar, and read the Qur’an so as to be called a reciter, and it has already been said.” Then the man will be sentenced and dragged away on his face to be flung into the fire.

Then a man will be brought forward whom Allah generously provided for, giving him various kinds of wealth, and Allah will recall to him the benefits given, and the man will acknowledge them, to which Allah will say, “And what have you done with them?” The man will answer, “I have not left a single kind of expenditure You love to see made, except that I have spent on it for Your sake.”

Allah will say, “You lie. You did it so as to be called generous, and it has already been said.” Then he will be sentenced and dragged away on his face to be flung into the fire.

[Sahih Muslim]

(I don’t really like to end articles feeling all serious and down, and when I re-read this article again, ending with that hadith, it kind of did feel gloomy. So here’s just alittle sharing yah. When I first learnt this surah and tafsiran from the Ustaz:

“As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and bounties, then he says (in): “My Lord has honoured me.” (15) But when He tries him, by straitening his means of life, he says: “My Lord has humiliated me!” (16) Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity (i.e. you neither treat them well, nor give them their exact right of inheritance)! (17) And urge not one another on the feeding of AlMiskîn (the poor)! (18) And you devour inheritance all with greed, (19) And you love wealth with much love!”

[89:15-20]

I honestly felt down and gloomy (yes, the gloomy word again). Cause the warning was so sharp and well, deep. However when we came to the very last verses of this surah, masyaAllah, it soothed my worries, and is one of the most beautiful verses in the Qur’an (if you can rank them at all that is, since they are all so special) I’ve ever experienced. The mukjizat of the Qur’an and its ability to communicate with the reader.

From the same surah (Al-Fajr), its last verses:

<In the form I read it in>

(Setelah menerangkan akibat orang-orang yang tidak menghiraukan akhirat, Tuhan menyatakan bahawa orang-orang yang beriman dan beramal soleh akan disambut dengan kata-kata): Wahai orang yang mempunyai jiwa yang sentiasa tenang tetap dengan kepercayaan dan bawaan baiknya! (27) Kembalilah kepada Tuhanmu dengan keadaan engkau berpuas hati (dengan segala nikmat yang diberikan) lagi diredhai (di sisi Tuhanmu)! (28) Serta masuklah engkau dalam kumpulan hamba-hambaku yang berbahagia (29) Dan masuklah ke dalam SyurgaKu! / (30)

[89: 27-30]

<In English>

(It will be said to the pious — believers of Islamic Monothesim): “O (you) the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction! (27) “Come back to your Lord, Well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing (unto Him)! (28) “Enter you, then, among My (honoured) slaves, (29) “And enter you My Paradise!” (30)

[89: 27-30]

Socks Designed For Ablution (Wudu’ )الوضوء

Product: Ablution Socks.

Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Ability to pull up front for ablution without having to take off entire sock.

Company: Berkat Enterprise, Mr Herman Jantan.

Current Distribution: Malaysia, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Singapore (Masjid Haji Yusoff, Darul Ghufran, En-Naeem, Mydin, Al-Istiqamah, Assyafaah, Darussalam, Petempatan Melayu Sembawang).

Current Status: 20, 000 pairs sold.

Cost: SGD $6.00 ($1.80 goes to Masjid funds).

Hafihz’s Analysis: This product sounds good. However when I do pull up the socks for ablution, the running water will still come into contact with the portion of the socks exposed. Also after prayers, my legs may be still wet, and I might have to just put my socks back on my damp legs. I wonder how long the socks take to dry up, and if they breathe well. Nonetheless the mere engineering and form speaks of genius.

I will keep you updated when I get my own pair and run it through my own ridiculous tests. Meantime if you have had experience with this one, let me know your thoughts.

However make no mistake, this product is rather ingenious. Alhamdulillah.

Structure & Content of Islamic Talks eBook [Dr Zakir Naik]

Recommended for speakers who will deliver presentations and talks with a Muslim audience, the skills and pointers shared by Dr Zakir Naik are also applicable for general settings.

Download the 5 paged document here.

Getting Back to Basics In Islam

Subuh in Banda Aceh

Went to help, in the end we were helped.

Don’t be deceived. These guys can read the Qur’an very very very well.

The one with red head gear… he can really Azan. He can really kick too. …

The Young Orphaned Princes

And the princesses. Don’t worry, they’re just fine.

From asatizah to the student in the madrasah, we humans sometimes need moments to reset ourselves, and ask important questions about what exactly was the purpose of our missions. This article encourages you to remove all the theories and frameworks you have, all the opinions you harbour and all the debates you’ve ever found yourself in - and instead wants you to imagine yourself being young all over again, innocent, and learning with a sense of awe.

If you are not a Muslim, this article invites you to discover, not the violence you see on television or the bad word of mouth that sometimes goes around, but simply at your Muslim neighbour who has never laid a hand on you…and learn what exactly it is he practices and believes in.

Let’s revisit our dear friends which we have so long guised under a baggage of masks and doctrines, which we may have kept in the echoes of our minds, only retrieving them when we may be in positions to impart such knowledge. Let’s look again at these friends of ours with the full wisdom that we have in our current lives, no matter where we are or what station we are in, and read them with reflection. Let’s look again at our dear friends…

The Articles of Belief and The Pillars of Faith.

Please read each one slowly, breathe life into them and reflect on what each point means to you.

The six articles of belief:

1. Belief in God (Allah), the One and Only One worthy of all worship (tawhid)
2. Belief in the Angels
3. Belief in the Books sent by God (including the Qur’an)
4. Belief in all the Prophets and Messengers (sent by God)
5. Belief in the Day of Judgment and in the Resurrection
6. Belief in Destiny (Fate)

These beliefs bear fruit. The Five Pillars of Islam is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. These duties are:

1. Shahadah (declaration of faith)
2. Salah (ritual prayer)
3. Zakah (alms)
4. Sawm (fasting during Ramadan)
5. Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)

May you find yourself again, and discover Him, no matter where you are, forever more.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

By the Glorious Morning Light. (1) And by the Night when it is still― (2) The Guardian-Lord Hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased. (3) And verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present. (4) And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased. (5) Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter (and care)? (6) And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance. (7) And He found thee in need, and made thee independent. (8) Therefore treat not the orphan with harshness; (9) Nor repulse the petitioner (Unheard); (10) But the Bounty of thy Lord rehearse and proclaim! (11)

[Surah Ad-Dhuha]

Top 10 Time Managing Tips

What’s given is 24 hours. What’s not is how we choose to manage it to the best of our abilities.

Here are my Top 10 Time Managing Tips (little tongue twister there):

1. Recognize the Difference Between What’s Important vs What’s Urgent. Time wasters are tasks which are not urgent and not important. What we tend to do most of the time are stuff which are urgent and may not be important (e.g. answering every phone call). What you tend to neglect but will hurt you then in the long run are things that are important but are not urgent (e.g. exercise). The stuff that tend to stress you out in the adrenalin are those which are important and urgent. Thinking of tasks along these 4 quadrants allows you to see with a bigger picture where your time is going to, and whether it should be spent at another quadrant.
2. Manage Chaos by Prioritizing Tasks. While people all around you are going bonkers at the thousand and one things they have to do, the cool-headed you learns to prioritize and then clear, one by one.
3. Learn to Say No. This doesn’t mean you’re all stuck up, it just means you recognize the fact that as much as you’d like to give it all, the reality is your resources are limited, and you’d want to prioritize them on matters which you can contribute best. Pick and choose wisely, that’s how I’d like to think about it.
4. Invest Time in Building Your Personal Skills. The relationships and networks you’d build, plus the support base that comes with it, will help you with the efficiency of your endeavors in the long run.
5. Have a “Do-Clear” Mentality. Be focused on what you have to get done, and feel the sense of joy at clearing each work.
6. Break Up Big Stuff Into Little Bits. Thinking of big tasks in terms of modular components helps reduce the complexities and hence time in problem solving.
7. Get an Organizer, and Use It. Once upon a time I never believed in such stuff. Trust me, it helps.
8. Take Public Transport. This is the time to catch up on those magazines, books, newspapers.
9. Watch How The Pros Do It, and Follow. Since it is on the topic of managing time and not so much of the process of discovery, learning from best practices beforehand will save you some time as supposed to jumping into murky waters.
10. Nike. Don’t just think and think and think. Old school advice coming your way… Just Do It.

Without Loudness in Words - Role Modelling The Right Way

People are respected by what they do and not really so much by what they say. Because “talk is cheap”, and with the internet, it’s become alot cheaper. A mere copy and paste here and there, removing the signatures and adding your own here and there, and you have your desired results.

The real proof is in the actions. When inspected, the person practices what he preaches. I’m sure you’ve met these people; you can hardly ever recall them ever uttering away advice verbally, and yet you respect them somehow, you treasure them as persons of wisdom. There is also the other side… those who frequently advice people with a salvo of dalils, who are ever eager to be role models but yet sadly have their own tribulation by not breathing to life their words by practicing them. Advice AND follow what you say.

Make no mistake though; preaching is easy. However preaching effectively isn’t. Let’s try our best and put in more effort to preach to ourselves first, to do so without harshness. Just look to our Sirah to see how Islam was spread… how first years were concentrated on getting the fundamentals right and in secret… how only later when the Ummah was strong in their own characters did they then begin preaching far and wide.

Effective preaching comes when you live and breathe Islam as much as you say.

Without any active marketing, others will listen, not by your words…

But by your character.

And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear without loudness in words in the mornings, and in the afternoons and be not of those who are neglectful.

[7:205]

Feedburner Feed Count Display Customization for Muslims

(This article has been corrected on 11 June 2008 thanks to inputs from أخت Nurhannah and مُدَرِّس Afif. May they be blessed for advising to the truth).

Here’s how the default Feedburner FeedCount looks like.

Why not jazz it up alittle? Replace the word “readers” with its equivalent in Arabic “Qurraa’” ( قرّاء):

Here’s the code insertion to your current display code:

<a href=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/… anim=0&label=qurraa’” alt=”" width=”88″ height=”26″ /></a>

Have fun!

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