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….