The Ultimate Life

It is blessed week for me and its God’s gift (Allah). Alhamdulillah, I can accomplish a novel “The Ultimate Life” within this week. The most valuable about a book is its potential to change our life especially reading the experience and imagination of others.

When I accomplished the second book from Jimm Stovall “The Ultimate Life”, generally, the content of the story was quite similar with the first book I have read “The Ultimate Gift”. This book really does not teach readers any new lessons on life. In fact, all of Red Stevens’ videotaped messages to his grandson are revisited word for word in The Ultimate Life. The question spinning on my head, why the novel was ended by the wedding married between Jason and Alexia?...it was so sudden.

However, a reader can only hope that the next in the series will not be retelling of The Ultimate Gift. While Stovall's message is meaningful; his writing is a bit on the cheesy side. It was easier to ignore that when reading The Ultimate Gift, which was original and moving. Once the reader realizes that The Ultimate Life is essentially the same story, the book will lose its value.

But it doesn’t mean that I regretted to read. On the other hand, it taught me the characters manifold of people and also I can pick up the vocabulary around chamber and its situation.

My suggestion for Jim Stovall, Please for the next series bring new lessons, new characters, and more realistic situations. I am waiting :) … for my friend @dah, you’re in charge to buy the next series from Jimm’s novel he he he… :)

“When we can learn from our own problems, we begin to deal with life. When we can learn from other people’s problems, we begin to master life”. (Jimm Stovall)

The Ultimate Gift

Alhamdulillah, a gratitude to Allah for All Blessings given to me as yet I can accomplish my reading “The Ultimate Gift” on Friday, 21 May 2010. Almost 2 weeks spending my spare time to read this novel… Hu hu hu (long enough). At the first and the second part of this book seem too many difficult words and names to be noticed. Honestly, I read so many times (may be more than 3 times) until I could understand clearly what the author meant. I do believe that no lesson worth learning is ever easy. That the point was The Ultimate Gift taught us.

Now, I can believe and understand what Author (Jimm Stovall) said in his introduction. Jim Stovall believed when someone reads the book from the first up to last page of the “The Ultimate Gift”, he will be a different person he is at this moment. In this novel taught on how to understand the gift that have been provided by our parent or friends and etc. it was not just a gift as physical things given to us but how to understand what is behind or processes should be passed through before getting the things.

Red Stevens was the actor in this novel. He wasa rich man in the story but he felt that the biggest mistake he ever made was when he gave everyone in his family everything that they thought they ever wanted. How come it was the biggest mistakes…normally he must be happy and satisfy because can give a lot of money and possessions to his family. However, to atone for his mistakes, he asked his lawyer Mr. Hamilton with the help Mrs. Margaret Hastings to train his last great vestige in his family, Jason. It took a year to train Jason. Why it should be like that?? (For further information I cannot tell it here)

At the beginning of story, Jason was belligerent, arrogant, and selfish attitude-borne of a life of idle privilege. Certainly, life is nothing more than a series of days but what did Jason do to fill out these days?? After having so many journeys, challenges in a year that was instructed by Red Stenvens with the support from Mr. Hamilton and Mrs. Hastings, when Josan completed each step in a year, however, he became totally a different person compared as one year earlier. What are the journeys could be? It most important things you should know and be highlighted. (Please just read this book!!!)

If you read this book, you will learn the principles of survival. Its also emphasized in the Holy Qur’an Allah says: "Say: Travel through the earth and see how Allah did originate creation" (Qur'an 29: 20). When I accomplished reading this novel I remembered an Arabic wise word I ever learnt:

لَيْسَ الْجَمَالُ بِأَثْوَابٍ تُزَيِّنُهَا إِنَّ الْجَمَالَ جَمَالُ الْعِلْمِ وَ اْلأَدَبِ# وَالشَّرَفُ بِالأَدَبِ لاَ بِالنَّسَبِ

Finally, I say a deep sense of gratitude for my friend who lent me out the novel J as well as permitted me to ink it out. Jazakillah

Arabic Camp 2010 (Dato’ Hj Ahmad Mustofa) and Inspired Students (SSV)

I joined Arabic Camp as a facilitator in SMAkA Dato’ Hj Ahmad Mustofa and its situated in Batu Kikir, Bahau, Seremban. The program collaborated between SMAkA Dato’ Hj Ahmad Mustofa and IKPM (Ikatan Keluarga Pondok Modern) or Modern Boarding School Family Association. These 3 days program held on Friday, Saturday, Sunday (7-9 May 2010) with 150 students from form 3, 4 and 5. To involve students numbers we need 12 facilitators, those are Muchtim Humaidi (UIAM), Helly Sardy (UM), Asep Dadan (UM), Syahruddin (UM), Asrul Faqih (UIAM), Andi Hendri Hasibuan (UIAM), Rabi’atul Adawiyah (UIAM), Siti Aisyah (UKM), Gufron (UIAM), Mahmud Alfan Jamil (UIAM), Muhammad Ircham (UIAM) and me. And then, for every facilitator will have 15 till 18 students. Those names above are graduated from Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor and currently, they are still studying in Major University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

We went to the school by public transportation (Metro Bus, Transnational, City Linear). The journey started from UIA to Central Market by then we changed the bus to went to Seremban terminal. The journey was not ended until Seremban because we have to go from Seremban Terminal to Bahau and be continued to the school hu hu hu. Actually, the journey from Kuala Lumpur to Seremban should be faster than to Malacca but the school that we want to reach was in rural area and it’s almost difficult to go there by public transportation. Nevertheless, even the journey was not enjoying enough but our desire continues up in that time.

As we held before, the Arabic Camp consist of full day activities: from the first meeting with the students started from Friday evening until 11 PM. Saturday (8 may 2010) it was the core of the activities. The participant had been awakened at 4.30 and continued with activities such as qiyamul lail, ilqou al mutaradifat, tamsilul masrahi, lu’bah al arabiyah, muraja’ah and etc. The Saturday program ended at 11 PM. No time for resting during a day except for eating and praying. For next day (Sunday) it was our last program and the agenda not as much as Saturday. We awakened at 4.30 and then we held qiyamulail continued by Shubuh prayer after that we have to exercise together (Poco-Poco) with the students. After taking breakfast we have an agenda (Fawazir) or group language competition after that we have closing ceremony with the school principal as well as with the school teachers.

Personal Experience in the School
My students were from form 3 and all of them were females. When the first meeting with them, they didn’t know the words I was saying (Arabic Language) even a simple word because during Arabic Camp was prohibited to speak any languages except in Arabic. The next day, they were getting understood the simple Arabic language term after given the gestures (kholas). Alhamdulillah…

Alhamdulillah...my group members got the first winner in Arabic Drama Contest. At that time, our member collaborated with two groups (Ustaz. Asrul Faqih’s and ustazah Wia’s Group). Our story it was talking about the Mum was robbed in the Bus by a robber and a group of people arrested him and then he told or realized the truth that he was robbed her hand phone and finally he repented. So the lesson from the story was (Qulil Haqqa Walaukaana Murran).

Before Arabic Camp had been held, many days in my group’s facilitators in drama contest (Ustaz. Ircham and Usth. Wia) was thinking about the story in Drama Contest. Unfortunately, it was stuck. The idea was appeared in my morning sipping coffee in the kitchen. I just remembered my students in Thailand and try to remember the Drama which performed by my students in Thailand (SSV) and as long as remember it, then I tried to transform into my students in the School (Dato’ Hj Ahmad Mustofa).

They thought that story was from my idea. In fact, I got the idea from my previous students in Songsem Sassana Vittaya (SSV). Certainly, they were my creative students I ever had. Surely, they inspired me. Definitely, I realized all of you (SSV) gave me a lesson which I could transfer it into my students in Malaysia. Thank you for my students in SSV and good luck for form 3 in Arabic drama contest.

SSV Students in English Drama Performance

Hopefully, the students know how important the Arabic language is. So that they know their tradition (Islamic Tradition) and familiar with the Arabic words especially the Al-Qur’an and Hadits (Prof. DR. Abdul Latif At Tibawi). Bravo for IKPM-Malaysia, SSV (Songhkla Islamic School, Thailand) and Dato’ Hj Ahmad Mustofa Islamic School, Seremban, Malaysia. :)

مَنْ لَمْ يَذُقْ ذُلَّ التَّعَلُّمِ سَاعَةً تَجَرَّعَ ذُلَّ الْجَهْلِ طُوْلَ حَيَاتِهِ

Reading no Writing is Like Journey for Nothing

Reading no Writing is Like Journey for Nothing

Last week on 2 May 2010, I finished reading a novel “The Alchemist” written by Paulo Coelho. There are so many lessons can be taken from that book. Based on my observation, the ideas come up from the imagination and personal experience which modified and explored into story (I think so). But there are some wise words can be used and some of them were not when its refer to my believe (Iman).

I don’t know what happened if some of them (readers) believe on what he wrote. My opinion, the author can put the wise words and her doctrine into flowed story, if we don’t analyze critically we can suddenly believe an idea explored. For instance “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Next, “When you want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe (Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist, P 22).” And also “I learned that the world has a soul, and what whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of things (Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist, P 83).”

However, according to Osman Bakar, he explained more clearer that the universal soul is itself created by God. Knowledge of the cosmic function, powers, and qualities of the Universal Soul, especially in relation to the natural order, is indispensable for the integration of the biological sciences into the spiritual knowledge of Tawhid. (Osman Bakar, Tawhid and Science, P 75).

At the same time, some of the ideas can be quoted as a lesson. Such the words “When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises (P 27).” According to Islamic point of view, there is a Hadits related to Paulo’s words:

مَنْ كَانَ يَوْمُهُ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَمْسِهِ فَهُوَ رَابِحٌ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يَوْمُهُ مِثْلُ أَمْسِهِ فَهُوَ مَغْبُوْنٌ وَمَنْ كَانَ يَوْمُهُ شَرًّا مِنْ أَمِسِهِ فَهُوَ مَلْعُوْنٌ

As I know, Paulo wrote what was believed and I write what I believed based on my world view (Islamic world view). I do believe that everyone has its own idea of looking things and I could not find the truth without God’s guidance (Al-Qur’an) because the only God (Allah) had the real truth. Allah says “Read in the name of Thy Lord” it means every knowledge should relate to metaphysical and spiritual knowledge which is based on the foundation of our knowledge of God’s Reality.

I write all these things, because I don’t want to forget my footstep I ever made and I don’t want to lose of what’s happening to me. My journey on a novel “The Alchemist” as well as “Tawhid and Science” was ended by this title “Reading no Writing Is Like Journey for Nothing”

Now… I am coming into next journey “The Ultimate Gift” written by Jimm Stovall (@das’s book) hi hi hi hi..tq. OK!