The Little I Know

After waiting for more than 2 weeks, ultimately, I got the SMS from my supervisor. It was on Monday, 21 June 2010. The point it was to discuss about my thesis (chapter 3) on Tuesday in his office. His SMS was excited me but at the same time, I felt slightly nervous and have to prepare properly regarding of it. After discussion with him and got the advice, Allhamdulillah, I can start to work on my thesis even still in correction again and again. Hu hu.. I don’t know when it can be ended.

However, thesis is reading and writing to accomplish my formal studies as well as a way for intellectual muscle to be a writer or researcher in the future. Nevertheless, reading beyond our area of studies is also required. One of the books that still on reading is “Islam and secularism”. Reading this book is a like going to somewhere to find out the truth that covered with so many viruses. The book was written by eminent scholar Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas. Now I am still seeking the books and presentation recorded related to him.

I didn’t finish yet reading it. I just want to share briefly, about what he wrote in that book. I heard from his presentation, he tries to open up the justice. According to him, the meaning of justice is to put the things in proper places. In contrary, it is not to give the things equally.

He also talked about adab. it means is the right action. It is not just right action but it is right ethically, morally. To do the right action we should have the knowledge of course the Knowledge of right and wrong. On the other hand, if we don’t have knowledge how come we know the right and wrong? And knowledge without practicing is useless. According to him knowledge cannot be said it’s knowledge unless we apply or give it to others.

If we have the knowledge and do the right, it means we also correspond our action with the rightness. In other words, we are doing adab itself, because of that, we are creating in the state of harmony because we put the thing in right place.

May be, this all about what I can share this week. To be honest, this posting may be only representing no more than one page of his book. What I know that, his book compact of explanation which i thought the author knew the lacks of world's crisis all about. Finally, I still remember that I bought this book only RM 18. However, this slight book was translated for more than 15 languages. The book can be cheap but a good Muslims does not consider it as a problem. I think great contribution to the society for the sake of Him is more valuable and rewarded it in both earth and hereafter because he believed that God had guaranteed him in everything. JazakaAllah for the author Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas. Waallahu’alam….

Action at the Crossroads

'on leave back in office 21/06/2010’

These short notes break my desire down suddenly. It happened 2 weeks ago (Thursday, 4/6/2010) around 12.15 PM in front of his office. at that time, my desire flamed enough and I attempted to consult him and submit my chapter 3 that I hoped it to be discussed among INSTEAD departments on Wednesday, 9 June 2010. Unfortunately, my dream was not coming true when I reached in front of his office and read the message above.

His notes

At the first sight, I didn’t understand the messages clearly, and subsequently asked my previous classmate to clarify of what I perceived. She answered it as I understood. To be honest, the message hurt me when I heard it. However, after rethinking positively it was no one to be blamed. I do believe it should have a lesson behind it even I need to wait this uncertainly decision. Waiting and waiting.. :)

My Beloved Supervisor's Office

Then, at the dawn of my days, I always recheck my email daily, waiting a fortune message from him. Do you know what message does I am waiting for? Actually I am waiting as like he sent me previously. “Please come to my office on….. to make our discussion clearly”

These sentences sound too scared to read but I accepted it excitedly even he always chews me out when I met him. He always say these and those, it should be like this and why you read these sentences to be in your chapter 3 and bla bla….Be faster please …!!! However, the words that he said to me, I consider it as the ways to accomplish my thesis. I thought it was happened to every student ... ultimately, no worried about it.

To lose in one side is a gift to the other sides, that's all about life. To fill my spare time , Alhamdulillah I could understand the downfall of Islamic Civilization and its crisis. The book “Islam at the Crossroads” written by Muhammad Asad became a solution. The book belongs to my roommate...hi hi hi hi. He bought it but he didn’t read it yet because he is busy enough…then I borrowed, read it first. Alhamdulillah I finished it..tq brother Humam Mustajib to lent me your book and I hope you can read it as well. May Allah reward you with the best of Him.

Waiting his next message is one thing and to build positive thinking and fill up an activity during the process of waiting is another thing.

Imam Syafie "In Quest of Knowledge"

In this week I would like to share my impression concisely about a book “in quest of knowledge” or in Malay book “Kisah Imam Syafie Dalam Pencarian Ilmu”. The book that I read was in Malay. It is no accident that I picked up this book. The some point, why I must have asked myself “what can I learn from this book?” The prime reason reading this book was to charge my spirit up. In that time I had no idea what to read and in the same time my laziness covered up my mind.

The second reason was to know and understand an Islamic tradition in questing knowledge. Moreover, understanding our own culture is the way to build our confident up in recognizing the richness of treasures and truthfulness of our religion. Ultimately, reading and knowing things are the source to be a wise man. InshaAllah….:)

This book was talking about the process had been passed by our scholar “Muhammad Ibnu Idries Syafie” in the quest of knowledge. We can find on know how to seek the knowledge with no money supply from his relatives. Finally, sincere intention in Allah and strong desire can break up all obstacles that Imam Syafie met. SubhanaAllah …

Before the journey started, Imam Syafie’s Mother prayed as follows: “Very well, my child. Have no fears. He in Whose path you are going to journey forth will Himself make due provision for you and look to your need. It is He Who, in His inscrutable ways fulfils the needs of His faithful servants in manners which human cannot even think of.”

The words that had been told by his mother were the same meaning as my Mom told me in some occasions. I guess my Mom never read this book before….I will ask her for detail information.

Alhamdulillah…Luckily, I could read this book. It could remind me what I should do during my studies as well as remind me mum’s words that always saying to me.

This sharing is dedicated for the readers..if you are so curious to know more…just read it OK.. if you don’t have the book I could lend you by all consequences…:)

To appreciate it I will make a copy this book as a memory, to remind during my careless…:)

Rahasia dibalik Kegagalan

Oleh: Mohammad Zakki Azani

“Jangan kamu berputus asa dari rahmat Allah. Sesungguhnya tiada yang berputus asa dari rahmat Allah, melainkan kaum yang kafir." (QS Yusuf [12]: 87)

Kegagalan adalah sesuatu yang dinilai buruk oleh hati nurani atau naluri manusia. kegagalan tak jarang menimbulkan kekecewaan yang dalam, sehingga menimbulkan ketidakpercayaan terhadap diri sendiri. Gagal menjadi kata yang ditakuti sehingga setiap orang berusaha menjauhinya. Ia diibaratkan jurang yang memisahkan antara harapan dan kenyataan. Beberapa banyak orang yang mengakhiri hidupnya dengan tragis karena tidak lagi menahan derita kegagalan.

Sebagai seorang muslim kesedihan dan duka terhadap suatu kegagalan bukanlah jalan terbaik. Allah berfirman SWT dalam surat Al-baqarah [2] : 214 : “Apakah kamu mengira bahwa kamu akan masuk surga, padahal belum datang kepadamu (cobaan) sebagaimana halnya orang-orang terdahulu sebelum kamu? Mereka ditimpa oleh malapetaka dan kesengsaraan, serta diguncangkan (dengan bermacam-macam cobaan) sehingga berkatalah Rasul dan orang-orang yang beriman bersamanya: "Bilakah datangnya pertolongan Allah?" Ingatlah, sesungguhnya pertolongan Allah itu amat dekat.”
Dalam Islam setiap kegagalan berarti cobaan atau ujian. Kegagalan harus dijadikan cambuk menuju kerja yang lebih termotivasi. Kegagalan adalah persimpangan jalan menuju kesuksesan. Dalam pandangan Allah SWT mereka yang justru memotivasi diri setelah mengalami kegagalan, mereka itulah orang yang sabar. Allah SWT berfirman: “kami sungguh-sungguh akan bersabar terhadap gangguan-gangguan yang kamu lakukan kepada kami. Dan hanya kepada Allah saja orang-orang yang bertawakal itu berserah diri."(QS Ibrahim [14] : 12)
Oleh karena itu kita harus menyadari bahwa Kesuksesan adalah sebuah paket dan bagian dari paket itu adalah kegagalan. Pandangan yang mengatakan bahwa orang sukses adalah yang tidak pernah gagal adalah pandangan keliru. Orang sukses adalah orang yang tidak pernah berpikir dirinya kalah, ketika ia terpukul jatuh, ia bangkit kembali, selalu belajar dari kesalahannya dan bergerak maju untuk lebih baik.

“Karena sesungguhnya sesudah kesulitan itu ada kemudahan, sesungguhnya sesudah kesulitan itu ada kemudahan. Maka apabila kamu telah selesai (dari sesuatu urusan), kerjakanlah dengan sungguh-sungguh (urusan) yang lain, dan hanya kepada Tuhanmulah hendaknya kamu berharap. (QS Al-Sharh [94] : 5-8)

Maka beruntunglah orang yang sudah pernah mengalami kegagalan lantas ia tetap istiqomah untuk meniti kegagalan menuju untuk kebangkitan dari keterpurukan. Wallahu a’lam…