Wazakkir | The Purpose of Life | Dr. Syed Abdul Khaliq

What is the purpose of life?

Why are we here?

(you might find that this article is boring, since you already know what to expect within this article."

Enough said.

As a caliph, 2:30

and as a slave to worship Him, 51:56

So, reflect back what's the role of caliph on this earth? Have you fulfill your duty? If yes, then, what it is?

Then, ask again yourself, what have you done as signs that you worship Him?

Worship the Creator and serve as His vicegerent on earth!


*watch one of wazakkir series, about the purpose of life here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlUwj-075Pc

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See To Feel

Greeting and peace be upon you readers. 

I sincerely believe that a little of introduction of me would be great since this is my first time writing in such an established site. A writer in nature and basically write on things related to my life, feelings and thoughts, that is me. Being offered to this so called 'part-time job', I doubted so much at first. Having so many things in mind, I dare not say 'Yes'. But here am I at last. Typing on the black keyboard, facing the white screen, and it was all for Allah, the One and Only.

Who am I to write on things when there are so many other people out there who are far more knowledgeable than I am? It is an undeniable truth that I am so lacking. But everyday, I'm learning and here am I now, sharing some of my stories. It may be out of your genre and it may never reaches your deepest heart but at least it did, to me.

See to feel. I remembered few days ago, I was crying and sobbing so uncontrollably by the balcony (So dramatic when I think about it now, definitely embarrassing) I wrote in my diary as tears filled the page, blurring my handwriting.

"Can't YOU pay a little more attention to me? Can't YOU care about me a little more than others?"

Well, I believe some of you may never encounter this kind of mix of feelings, but there are those who feel so small and bad about themselves out there frankly writing. Whenever, others are doing good things, running towards the path to Allah, some are struggling. Struggling to keep their feet on the path, not yet to start walking on it. With mistakes in the steps, they were dragged back into the ocean, drowning if they have no courage to fight it on.

Then come the inner whispers "Allah does no love you any more. HE is only protecting the good ones by using you. With all of your mistakes and sins, he would have give up on you. Do you feel HIM around? Do you feel HIM protecting you? No, so let's just stop believing..."

It is not something I made up. It happens. We are normal human and there is a limit to out thinking and sometimes, when things just don't go on our way, we throw tantrum every where. Sometimes, we feel down, thinking that we have done so much, at least to us, it took great effort to change but seeing others who are sprinting forward with ease, you feel left out, you feel so slow and you feel small. Then, you slow down, wanting to care less, tired of caring more. When you compare blindly, you'll end up in jealousy. If the jealousy give you motivation to catch up, that is no big deal. But jealousy with egoism, may end your effort to do good.

Why bother asking? Everyone, Allah loves us. (Lauging) You know sometimes some girls when they are disappointed and tired with life, they just blame it on their love ones. Saying things that they never meant it, like "You don't love me any more!" Just because they want to hear the word 'I love you'. (Such a complicated creature we are). Believe me, whenever I, idly or seriously asked Allah, "Do you actually love me?" He never fails to answer. He knows how I was always in need of that as motivation to keep fighting and Alhamdulillah, HE said it in very single seconds of my life with the condition, I have to see to feel it.

Try to see HIM in every single things that happened and you will feel HIS undying love towards us. How many times have you make mistakes and committed sins in your life? Uncountable? Well, then how many times have you wake up and realize that you are still alive? Everyday, until this morning right? That chances are never ending. So do HIS love and care. And HE never gives up on us, that is why we are still breathing now. See things around you and you'll feel HIS love for YOU. 

Never feel bad and small for not being good enough. It is not for us to decide on that and It doesn't matter how great your sacrifices or efforts you did, he never missed, he never overlooked as HE is the Greatest of all. It is okay to go slow. Allah knows best, He give HIS protection as much as we needed and having faith in HIM, walk friends. Even if it is a step forward a day, even if you took years, have Allah in mind, and every time the clock 'tick', InshaAllah, HE would bless you and love you even more. 

My last few sentences. I believe you are so often to hear this when examination is around the corner but this is not only applicable during worldly exam friends, but also to our daily life. Just take it as a friendly reminder. "It is the efforts that Allah wants to see and it is the efforts that are counted..." 

Sadly and urgently I would take my leave. My apology if what I wrote were not lining along to your very own thoughts and principle. I may be quite childish in my writing but that is what that makes me attach more to Allah. Pardon me if I said something unpleasant because all of the imperfection comes from us human who is never perfect and all the good things and perfection comes from Allahu Rabbi, The Greatest of All.

Anne ZR

Hope you all have a great time after reading the post.

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Read and Write!

Some people may find it difficult to share their opinions, experience and even knowledge in front of the crowd, due to lacking communication skills.

Some people also may always attempt to share everything that they know either in any two ways conversation or group conversations, until they thought that it is not enough time to tell everything he/she knows.

Some people may reflect upon her/himself without letting anyone know about it, although it is actually always become the reminder for all of us.

Some people may scared to share their knowledge as they knows that he might telling a non-truth facts or story.

Some people may lack of confidence to share among the crowd about any topics.

Some people may think that they have no talent in writing.

Some people may find it hard to have time to write.

Some people...

At this point, I'm sure that the reader right now have grab the idea of what this article is about. Or... not?

***

Some people thought that;

Writing needs passion.

Writing need determination.

Writing need confidence.

Yes, exactly... But, at the end, you just have to write what you want to write. What you want other people also know and realise, though they already realise about it. Its okay. Just remind them.

We have learnt to write since childhood years.

"A, B, C, D, E..."

Then, we advance to a new level of writing. Writing words.

"Apple. Chicken. Table."

Later, we can eventually form sentence by those words learnt.

"I go to school. I love my mother. I miss you."

As our brain grow smarter, we learnt to form more advanced sentence.

"Now the sun has shine bright, as bright as your face when smiling."

Knowledge and experience which dwells within our heart and mind blended in together in pieces into all those writing. More writing skills acquired. and yet, always come with advices and philosophical discussions.

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."

All the words might naturally comes from your heart as well as your brain.

I still remember the words from one of my friends about writing. Writing has its on balance as if it is on a double beam balance. One side require intelligence. Another one side require emotional values. The best writing should be balance between both, so that everyone can perceive and accept all the good values better as if the writer speak and whisper the advice in the mind of the reader.

This might not all about writing. This is just a small part of writing pedagogy, smaller than a droplet of ocean's water of it. The knowledge is too vast to explore. You might regret if you only gain a very, very, very small part of it.

Writing urges one to know more about something, later will know more about it.
(just like PBL, perhaps? Heh.)

You might want to refer again the tafsir of Surah al-'Alaq, especially the verse 1 to 5.

It reminds me about a story when someone meet the a Malaysian National Laureate, A. Samad Said, and ask him to teach him about writing. He said, "Read, read, read, and then write."

Read, read, read, and then write...

Only then, you will know more, and can deliver the knowledge to others.

***

As one find it hard to write, then, you might want to see and look upon the purpose of the writing itself. If you really write for the sake of Allah, then you should not feel it as a burden, instead you would feel this as a duty and responsibility.

*Let's start writing and send any articles to us. Email your article to msocsiteimu.gmail.com

or drop your email in the comments below, and I will send an invitation to be the author for this blog.

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Face the Mirror, and Look upon Yourself.

Whenever we felt that we have gone astray far away from the path to the will of god, we should always remember Allah, repent and back to His will. Though it might not that far away, you may at least doing a wrong action in particular situation. Who knows? The spontaneous action just pass automatically from brain nerves and allow our muscles… or in other words, the whole body just react on something without a proper judgement.

This is what reflecting our akhlak. (and terrible assimilation of science in article... heh)

Yet, who dare to say that he or she is the one with the best of akhlak after all, since all of us always doing mistake somewhere and sometime. You think you have decide the best action on everything Though you might have no time either to decide?

His or her akhlak is what determine the kind of action that he or she will react.

Sometimes, we might have insufficient time to ask ourselves, “Is it the best action for this circumstance?”

“Is it better to do like this? Rather than this?”

Eventually, you never know that you might choose a wrong decision at a time when you actually best to do this… and this…

As time goes, the circumstance and decision will lead to another new storyline where the bad or good things will happen upon us, either in next 2 years, next 2 months and can be even next 2 seconds! Only then, you know how bad or how good your decision is.

This reminds me about a story of a father who went to work in early of the morning, which began when his daughter accidentally crashed to the table and caused his father’s coffee fell off and spilled on his shirt.

What if the father turned out to be a ‘cruel monster’, yelling or even hitting his own daughter just because of the spilled coffee?

The story goes with a stressful timeline of the day, as bad things keep happen to him. His daughter has been late to go to school as the bus already left and he need to send his daughter off to go to school. He had difficult time to go to the school area even leave to his working office since the traffic is hectic with cars of which parents sending of their children. His daughter left him without a good bye. He late went to work, and scolded by his boss. Even after working, he has a bad day with his wife because of his reaction on that morning.

Then, what if the father reacts calmly on that situation and do the best action. A timeline with a happy day would be come out.

Therefore, we should realize that any unexpected events require a proper and accurate action to make your day better. Think before acting.

Imam Ibn Qayyim once said regarding thinking and reflecting, that the origin of all acts of obedience to God is to think before acting, and the source of all evil doing is the absence of thinking and reflection before doing.

Even if you have done wrong, do reflect upon yourself and manage yourself to improve akhlak, so that we can endure this life better. Muhasabah.

Now, interpret this picture in a way that you can improve yourself as you gain its positive message.
How would you react then? Just neglect it?

***

Hmm… This actually remind me of ‘6M Formula’ of changing your routine to best of routine as it turn you to be always submissive and obedient to the will of Allah. InsyaAllah, in the next article…

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Budapest: the Action Counts

So what do you do about it?

The weather was as sunny as we wished for. Alhamdulillah, perhaps this was the best for us. We took the tram to the other side of the river. I switched on the GPS (global positioning system) on my phone and started looking for our exact destination in the Google map; the Budapest Islamic Centre. We walked along the same sidewalk twice, checking the map constantly but to no avail, the Islamic Centre was nowhere to be seen. Then my friend decided to ask a guy who was strolling towards our direction. The guy gestured us to follow him; apparently he too was a Muslim and was on his way to pray since Zuhr prayer has just commenced.

“How do you know he was a Muslim?”

“Because he did not look local and besides, he looked rather surprise to see us.”

“Oh okay.” I could not differentiate between local and non-local. I mean, they were human (okay ,lame. I don’t yet have the ability to judge mankind from appearance alone)

It was located at the back side of the building; I wondered why it did not have a front opening so that other people who were not used to this place could locate it as easily.

We entered the building and went upstairs to the ladies prayer room. A plate of unfinished meal covered with tissue was the first thing that I noticed on the floor. The whole area was covered with the not-so-thick-carpet but was enough to provide insulation to our feet from the cold floor. Clothes; babies’ and adults’ were seen hanging on the clothesline inside the prayer room! The place somehow felt homey but we were uncomfortable.

‘This place might be poorly funded.’ I thought to myself.

It was nothing like the humongous mosque you see in Malaysia but you might want to compare it with the smaller musalla in small village in Malaysia. They looked almost the same except that in Malaysia we did not let people make the musalla their homes and we did not let people eat inside it let alone to hang the clothes.

And the tiny part of my brain told me, ‘I did not expect to see the main Islamic Centre in Budapest to be this way. I mean it was at the centre of the city’.

I was not sure what to expect myself.

****

Perhaps you guys want to hear the ironic part of me.

In the tram:

“There were not many Muslims here. Perhaps the more developed the country is, you will see more Muslims.” I was not sure how did we come to this conclusion.

More developed nation means there are more critical people who thought more about their purpose of life, perhaps? Enlighten me as you may do so, I’m still trying to figure it out.

That night, it occurred to me. It was not the problem of whether the country was developed or not to see its citizens seeking the foundation of faith, but it was how the followers of the faith itself behave or act. It started with oneself. When I saw the condition of the Islamic Centre, I told myself I should infaq some money that I had in my pocket. But I assume, my intention was not strong/sincere enough. I forgot about it shortly after that and returned to the hostel as a regretful being.

****

"Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned." [2:245]

My point is, if you wish to see your beloved deen to flourish with your part contributing to it (as this deen does not really need you, sounds cliché but true), then do not just think but ACT! Do not just condemn, but work for solutions. The problem with us now is that we think too much about the problems instead of searching or creating the solutions. And I urge you who spend your time reading this and myself who is always as forgetful, to make as much charity as a way of jihad.

Narrated by Abu Hurairah r.a : A man asked the Prophet (saws), "O Allah's Messenger (saws)! What kind of charity is the best?" He (saw) replied. "To give in charity when you are healthy and greedy hoping to be wealthy and afraid of becoming poor. Don't delay giving in charity till the time when you are on the death bed when you say, 'Give so much to so-and-so and so much to so-and so,' as at that time the property is not yours but it belongs to so-and-so (i.e. your inheritors)."
[Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.492]

"Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing." [2:268]

P/s: Hungary is actually a developed nation.




Article contributed by: Pen Hitam

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Tadabbur Kehidupan

Assalamualaikum.

tadabbur alam. tadabbur kehidupan.

It’s that time of the year again.. Tahun 2014 sudah  melabuhkan tirai. 1 tahun lagi sudah  berlalu. Apa yang kita telah capai?

Masa. Ia sentiasa berjalan. 

Ada orang kata, masa itu sentiasa tidak cukup. Aku rasa, masa itu bergantung kepada individu. Mengenai bagaimana kita prihatin kepada masa, dan sedar kehadiran masa itu.

Ia akan cukup, jika kita cukupkannya.

Ia tidak akan pernah cukup, jika kita bazirkannya.

Dan masa, sepatutnya menjadi batu loncatan untuk kita. Faktor penolak.

Kerana pada akhirnya, setiap hari, waktu harian kita akan habis. Dan kita akan kembali tidur semula. Menanti esok hari yang akan tiba, untuk hari baru.

Jadi pernah tak, sebelum kita tidur, kita fikir, apa yang aku telah lakukan hari ini?

Adakah ia sesuatu yang bermakna?

Adakah ia sesuatu yang baik? Untuk diri? Keluarga? Rakan-rakan? Untuk agama, Allah dan Rasul?

Atau kita hanya membazirkan masa?

Diulang-ulang rutin yang sama.

Rutin yang tiada makna.

Bangun pagi lewat, tergesa-gesa siap-siap ke kelas, jika terlalu lambat terlepas kelas, solat hujung-hujung waktu, layan internet berjam-jam, layan video, main games, makan, layan drama, lalu sambung tidur semula pukul 2-3 pagi.

Belum kira waktu-waktu yang ada diselitkan perkara maksiat.. Aduh.

Tadabbur. Ponder. Refleksi.

Masa 24 jam kita. Apa yang kita lakukan?

Masa muda kita, apa yang kita manfaatkan?

***

Ada sebuah kisah.

Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda, “Siapa yang pagi ini berpuasa?” Abu Bakar r.a menjawab “Saya, ya Rasulullah!”, Rasulullah s.a.w bertanya lagi, “Siapa yang pagi ini sudah menghantar jenazah ke kubur?” Abu Bakar r.a menjawab, “Saya ya Rasulullah”. Rasulullah bertanya lagi, “Siapa pagi ini telah memberi makan orang miskin?”, jawab Abu Bakar r.a “Saya ya Rasulullah” Rasulullah bertanya lagi “Siapa pagi ini sudah menjenguk orang sakit?” Abu Bakar r.a menjawab, “Saya ya Rasulullah!”. Akhirnya Rasulullah bersabda, “Tidaklah (semua perbuatan baik itu) terkumpul pada seseorang kecuali pasti dia akan masuk syurga.”(HR Muslim)

Kita lihat, keimanan Abu Bakar r.a dalam menggenggam masa 24 jam itu sangat-sangat patut kita contohi. Bahkan, jika kita telusuri kisah Baginda s.a.w, Baginda sememangnya insan yang amat sibuk.

Bagindalah ketua agama, ketua negara, komander tentera,

Baginda juga teman kepada sahabat r.a yang lain, Baginda juga suami dan ayah kepada keluarga, dan

Baginda juga hamba Allah.

Namun sesibuk mana Rasulullah, Baginda masih mampu untuk solat malam sehingga bengkak kakinya. Allah..

….

Masa itu mengikut apa yang kita mahu.

Jika kita mahukan keseronokan, maka keseronokan yang akan memenuhi masa kita.

Jika kita mahukan kecemerlangan, maka kecemerlangan lah hala tuju masa kita.

Jika kita mahukan kebaikan, maka kebaikan lah yang kita akan penuhkan.

Jadi ia berbalik pada apa yang kita mahu. Apa yang berada di dalam hati.

Kerana itu, Allah sering mengingatkan kita dalam al-Quran mengenai tarikan-tarikan hati, kisah-kisah kaum terdahulu, peristiwa-peristiwa akan datang. Mengingatkan kita akan rendah dan sementaranya dunia, sementara kekal dan pastinya akhirat.

***

Saya suka mengingatkan diri, bahawa tempat untuk nafsu kita ini, bukan untuk dunia, tapi untuk akhirat sana.

Kita cubalah sekuat mana, susah untuk kita merasa puas akan dunia. Kerana itu kita terkejar-kejar.

Berpenat dan bersusah payah untuk perkara yang singkat. Kita cuba menjadikan dunia ini, sesuatu yang bukan sifatnya. Kita mahu ia kekal, sedangkan ia akan mati. Lantas kita merasa kecewa.

Itu bukan salah dunia, tapi salah kita. Salah dalam menilai dunia.

***

Lalu usaha, dan masa kita, perlu kita sinergi kan.

Supaya masa ini, kita manfaatkan.

Supaya tenaga muda ini, kita gunakan. Hanya untuk kebaikan. Hanya untuk kebaikan.

Teringat kata-kata sahabat ku,

“Jika kita jaga hubungan kita dengan Pencipta Masa, InsyaAllah Dia akan cukupkan masa kita.”

Semoga Allah menerima masa kita ini sebagai Ibadah. Semoga masa ini tidak terbuang begitu sahaja.

Dan semoga engkau dan aku, mati ketika sedang melakukan kebaikan. 

Dan hanya meninggalkan dunia ini, nilai-nilai kebaikan...

Amiin. Ya Rabbal 'alamin...

Dinukil oleh: Saudara Zulhafifi 

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