Di Tepi Sungai Dajlah: Kembara ke Kota Baghdad, Iraq by HAMKA

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

On rare occasion, I would accidentally come across a book that is simultaneously unputdownable, on-point, well mannered in its words, and coincides with current world event. This is that book translated in English; On the Banks of Dajlah River: Travel to the City of Baghdad, Iraq.

Di Tepi Sungai Dajlah narrates HAMKA's travelings in Iraq with a backdrop of the region's history. Due to the fact that I had visited Iran last year, the never ending Sunni-Shiite quandary, and the assassination of Iranian General Suleimani, I immediately felt an affinity to this book.

For this post, allow me to concisely discuss the lessons that we can derive from the Sunni-Shiite quandary within the context of this book.

Let me first state one thing (lest I'll be judge in the social media tribunal), that I am a Sunni and disagrees with the Shiite doctrine. Yet, I feel the pure hatred that half, if not majority of Malaysian Sunnis, have on Shiite has caused a dangerous rift between Muslims. I am well aware that there are fatwas saying that Shiite are not Muslims, but I will reserve my comments on this matter. Instead, let me turn your attention to HAMKA's narration in pages 75 to 78 [1] (brief explanation in English is provided after):

Maka bilamana kami telah masuk ke dalam perkarangan makam Abbas itu, mulailah mutawwif kami mengajarkann bacaan-bacaan. Mula sekali mengucapkan salam pada Rasulullah, sesudah itu kepada Ali bin Abi Talib, sesudah itu kepada Hasan dan Husain, barulah langsung kepada Abbas ini. Bermacam-macam pujian diberikan kepadanya, dan kami turutkan. Kemudian mulailah bacaan berisi politik itu, iaitu mengutuk kepada orang yang membunuhnya dan mengutuk kepada orang yang menyuruh bunuh! Tentu saja Yazid!

Oleh kami adalah kaum Sunni, dan pasal kutuk mengutuk itu tidak ada dalam ajaran kepercayaan kami, maka di waktu bacaan sampai di sana, kami berdiam diri. Diulang oleh mutawwif kami itu sampai dua kali, kami tidak mahu menurutkan...mutawwif kami kelihatan agak kurang gembiranya...

Lalu di tengah jalan saya suruh mutawwif itu mendekat dan saya berkata: "Kami ini bangsa Indonesia, mazhab kami ialah Sunni, Syafie. Tetapi kami bukanlah membenci zuriat Rasul (keturunan Rasul). Kami ziarah kemari dari tempat yang jauh karena kami pun cinta kepada Husain... Sebab itu tuntunlah kami, tunjukkan kepada kami tempat-tempat yang penting, tempat berziarah. Cuma satu permintaan kami, janganlah dibawakan lafaz-lafaz yang mengutuk kepada orang yang telah mati". 

"Maafkan saya! Maafkan saya!" Jawabnya...

"Dahulu Imam Syafie difitnahkan orang di hadapan Raja Harun al-Rashid, dikatakan pembela Syi'ah, sehingga nyaris berbahaya bagi jiwanya" kataku pula. 

"Oh Tuan orang alim. Tuan banyak pengetahuan. Maafkan saya!"

Saya jawab pula: "Alim benar pun tidak, cuma tahu sedikit-sedikit saya kenal nama Ulama Syi'ah yang terbesar di zaman ini. Syed Al-Mujtahid Al-Akbar Syeikh Al Kasyif Ghita".   

"Oh , Tuan kenal nama beliau? Wahai, itu adalah ulama besar kami, pimpinan besar kami. Tuan kenal namanya?"

"Selama orang Islam membaca bahasa Arab, tentu akan kenal buah fikiran beliau. Kenal cita-cita beliau yang luas dan faham beliau yang mendalam". 

Brief English explanation:

When HAMKA and his companion was in the tomb of Abbas, the mutawwif (guide) ask them to praise Muhammad the Prophet (may peace be upon him), then Ali, then Hasan, Husain, and finally Abbas. They did so. But when the mutawwif went into politics and ask them to curse/condemn the killer and the plotter i.e. Yazid, they refused to do so and just kept quiet. The mutawwif was not happy.

HAMKA then explains that they are Sunnis and Sunnis are not supposed to curse. Yet, they do love the lineage of the Prophet. The founder of the Syafie madhab, Imam Syafie himself was slandered in front of a king saying that he's the defender of Shiite. HAMKA proceeded in stating that he also appreciates the thoughts of one of the Shiite's ulama namely Syed Al-Mujtahid Al-Akbar Syeikh Al Kasyif Ghita.  

It is a known fact that Shiite originated from a political disagreement; the reason why I ardently believe the mutawwif had asked HAMKA and his companion to curse/condemn Yazid. Interested readers may read this book to know the exact account of this historic event.

To return back to our main purpose, we can certainly derive two important lessons from HAMKA's narration in pages 75 to 78:
(1) Politics combined with any supremacist ideology can lead to a treacherous schism
(2) Yet, a bridge can be built over the schism by speaking the truth kindly and wisely

Certainly, in this dark age where people defined freedom of expression as freedom to express crudely, it is refreshing to read how HAMKA stood firm on his faith and politely disagreed. At the same time, he had also been respectful and sought common ground to further diffuse the tension. Nowadays, this courteous manner is almost an art form. I give this book 5 stars.

[1] HAMKA. (2018). Di Tepi Sungai Dajlah: Kembara ke Kota Baghdad, Iraq. Kajang: Jejak Tarbiah Publication.

The Charm of Knowledge

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

When my emotion and physique are not exhausted from work, I would pick up a non fiction book. I have piles of them waiting to be consumed in my office and my apartment. The one I'm currently reading is the The First Command by M. Jamal Haider. It is about Muslim intellectualism in the past.

But don't misunderstand, this is not a post about book review. This is a post on how I am inspired and at the same time stressed, by the Muslim savants from history at which the book highlights. I am inspired because their thirst for knowledge is so pure and sincere, and I am stressed because as an academician, I don't think I can reach their heights.

Source: Wikimedia

Martyrs of knowledge
The curiosity that these group of men possessed were immeasurable. They would go to great lengths for knowledge; always willing to sacrifice almost anything to get an ounce of it. Below is a bullet list of some of them:

• Ibn Sina, or most Westerns would call him Avicenna, had cured the King of Bukhara from an illness when he was mere 17 years old. The King had hired many physicians beforehand but all were unsuccessful. Out of gratefulness, the King wished to present him with a reward. Instead of asking for wealth or power, Ibn Sina asked for access to the King's extraordinary library.
• Abu al-Nasr al-Farabi or better known simply as al-Farabi, did not marry for he was highly focused in academia. I dare say that if most of you had known him, you would say that he doesn't have a life! Before that, he had endured poverty. He was employed as a gardener at first, and at last became the King's companion. He taught us that patience, determination and passion can help one pull through. Perhaps, he understood the meaning of life the most! 
• Abu Ali Hasan ibn al-Haytham or Ibn al-Haytham or Alhazen loved other fields except engineering. He hated it so much to the extent that he pretended to be mentally unstable when Caliph al-Hakim asked him to figure out how to stop floods. After the Caliph died, he pursued other fields of knowledge in Spain. This is another example of what passion, patience, and persistence can lead us to. In addition to all those lessons, we also learn what line of action to take when person(s) of authority asked us to do something that we don't like 😜
• Prince Khalid ibn Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah had abdicated his throne in order to study chemistry. People nowadays would call him a fool.

Most of them are also Mathematicians
It is interesting to know that regardless what their expertise were, most of them were also excellent in Mathematics! Below are some of them:

• Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (died c.840) - Geographer, Astronomer, and Mathematician 
• Banu Musa brothers (9th century) - Mathematicians and Mechanics 
• Thabit ibn Qurrah (836 - 901) - Mathematician, Astronomer, Mechanics and Translator from Greek to Arabic 
• Abu Abdullah al-Battani (858 - 929 CE) - Mathematician, Astronomer, and Mathematician 
• Al-Razi (864 - 930) - Studied medicine, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, music and philosophy 
• Abu al-Nasr al-Farabi - Studied philosophy, logic, sociology, music, medicine, and mathematics 
• Abu al-Wafa Muhammad al-Buzjani (940 - 997) - Mathematician and Astronomer 
• Abu Ali Hasan ibn al-Haytham (965 - 1040) - Studied optics, mathematics, physics, and medicine 
• Omar Khayyam (1044 - 1123) - Studied mathematics, astronomy, poetry, and metaphysics

This fact is exceptionally intriguing for me because:

Reason 1: My undergraduate Degree was in Mathematical Science
When I entered into the last semester of my sophomore year in university, it began to dawn on me that Mathematics is not for me. I found it harder to learn and understand. Despite my interest in it, I can't seem to grapple with most of the concepts. But somehow when I did my Masters and Doctorate Degree, I always steered back towards some form of Mathematics. I suppose just like human love, I can't really forget Mathematics. Ever since I started reading this book, I decided that I should incorporate more Mathematics in my research; even if it turns out to be mediocre.

Reason 2: Philosophy, poetry, AND mathematics?!
This is utterly mind boggling. In Malaysia at least, there is no one who would be an expert in philosophy or poetry WITH mathematics (if I'm wrong, please correct me). Those three different fields are just that, THREE DIFFERENT FIELDS! I however, do have have a few theories why, though. That my friends, will be in another post in the future, inshALLAH (God willing).


Still, there is one pertinent question to the current post that must be addressed; why was knowledge so alluring to the point that these Muslim scholars fell head over heels for it? I believe the words from M. Jamal Haider holds the obvious answer:

If now some scholars are using such verses (Quranic verses regarding geology, zoology, astrophysics etc.) as proof of authenticity of the Quran, in the past, such verses had directed the Muslims into an incredible quest for scientific knowledge that had lasted over a century.

Rationality vs Deep Thought

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

I'm reading a book written by John Ralston Saul entitled "Voltaire's Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West". I started reading it in 2016 and even after two years, haven't finish. This is record breaking for me as I've always been a fast reader. Still, it is unsurprising because the writer is a philosopher. Like most philosophers, it's so difficult to fathom his thoughts!

Fortunately (and alhamdulillah), his ideas got across to me recently. I am able to boil down his points into one simple sentence:
People make wrong decisions when they confuse rationality with deep thought.
You are questioning this sentence, aren't you? "Is not rationality similar to deep thought," you ask? Even Thesaurus lists wise as a synonym to rational. Well, you and Thesaurus have never been more wrong.

No, this post is not a book review to support that fact. The book review might come in the future, God willing. Probably eons away in the future. The actual purpose of this post is to explain how rationality is different from deep thought based on two simplest examples.

Image by tsukiko-kiyomidzu

1. Social media posts
It is easy to say that a person is narcissistic when (s)he post a lot of selfies on social media. People quickly presume that someone is an attention seeker when (s)he post a lot of personal struggles online. These conclusions are rationale, after all.
But should we think deeper, we might arrive at a different conclusion; the former might be suffering from a mental condition (which a study had recently pointed out) while the latter could view writing in social media as a form of therapy.

O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.
[Quran: Chapter 49 Verse 12]


2. Stages in life
We are often advised to embark in life by following these steps: obtain an education, get a high paying career, get married, and have kids. These stages must be followed accordingly and religiously. The masses have agreed that to skip any step or to not follow them in order would translate into a difficult life. To clarify further: If you don't get an education, it will be difficult for you to find a high paying job. And if you can't find a high paying job, you won't have enough money to start a family. This insecurity will cause difficulties. Difficulties in turn, cause restlessness and sadness. These are the lines of a rational thought.
But if we pause for awhile and observe, we'll notice that this isn't necessarily so. People go through these stages of life at different times and at a different pace. Some might not go through one or more of these stages at all. Thus you wonder sometimes, how can the poor still smile and be at peace amidst chaos? How are the rich can be so serious and worried though in stability?

But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. [Quran: Chapter 2 Verse 216]


You may surmise two things from the above examples. One, cliche and two, morality or ethics.

Well my dear readers, these cliches can be analogous with what Saul wrote in his book. Politics and economics, topics that we would deem novel, have been made complicated by a rational line of thinking. These complexities then have been confused with deep thought. This is because rationally, anyone who possess deep thought, would be able to figure it out. The reality is, these complexities are to create a class or a caste that would separate people by "knowledge" (I think the strike through together with the quote will further emphasize how knowledge, in this sentence, is an oxymoron).

Anyhow, like I said earlier, I'm not going to elaborate further what Saul wrote in his book; at least not in this post. But I'd like to share a conclusion that I've arrived at.

To be a person with deep thought we need:
1) Simplicity
2) Morality/ethics
Do you agree with me? Or you simply don't care?

Hiking and Discovery

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

Currently in Malaysia, mountain and hill hiking are becoming a fad. Facebookers elate when they find new hill hiking spots and people race to post their hiking adventures on Instagram. These did not go unnoticed. Both responsible and irresponsible hiking trip organisers mushroomed and more people get sucked into the euphoria.

The hiking "fad" isn't necessary a negative connotation, though. It actually presents another method of spending time aside from the typical activities of shopping, dining, gaming, clubbing, and watching Korean soap operas. It began to dawn on people that they can still have a blast and de-stress while sweating.

There are also those who went one step further and find hiking therapeutic. Somehow, the world made much more sense, serenity becomes less elusive, and God is all the more omnipresent. I would like to believe that I'm in this category.


1. Constant steep trail = Never ending trials
Mount Datuk in Rembau is the most popular place to hike for those who want to transition from hill hiking to mountain hiking. 80% of its trail involve steep and tiring ascends. I remember pushing myself hard, controlled my breathing, and asked hikers descending the mountain how long more until we reach the top.

One of a few set of stairs leading to the top of Mount Datuk

Raihan, a friend of mine, told me that this steep trail symbolises the never ending trials that we face in life. The capability to breath in oxygen always comes with responsibilities, hardship, anger, annoyance, misunderstanding, and sometimes, the urge to just kill one self. This is simply how ALLAH had designed life to be.

2. Effort, patience, and perseverance always pay off
Still, ALLAH had also decreed that those with effort, patience, and perseverance will pull through. If not in this world, the next.

Kutu Hill is NOT a hill; its a mountain. Situated in Kuala Kubu Bharu, it rises 200+ meters more than Mount Datuk. If Mount Datuk is tiring, Kutu Hill is grueling. My knee gave way and my brother literally had to carry me down for a short while. Its not that the Kutu Hill trail is steeper, but it's longer, wilder, and lonelier. In comparison to Mount Datuk, not many people hike here.

View from the top of Kutu Hill

The Kutu Hill trail reminds me of my PhD studies a bit; a long, winding, and lonely odyssey which has not yet end! To quote Linkin Park, "Uphill struggle, blood, sweat, and tears". Nevertheless, each time I reach the peak of the mountain (or hill) that I'm hiking on, it gives me optimism that I can finish it. This also applies to my ambition of becoming a novelist (despite not being able to fulfill promises to my readers)! 

3. Its the journey that matters

Although messy and unpredictable, its often the journey that matters. There's no meaning if we achieve success by cheating and manipulating. The journey should pain us so that we grow wiser and kinder.  

This hit me when I hiked Botak Hill in Puncak Alam. The top was completely bare like a bald head (hence the name Botak) but the trail was pleasant. We were greeted by ferns, huge boulders, and birds freely roaming the vast sky.

Botak Hill trail

4. Compassion and teamwork
I felt pain not at Botak Hill but at Batu Chondong Hill in Ulu Klang. I fell when I was climbing down a tree. My friend Aisyah, not me, was traumatised with the incident (not to worry, I'm fully recovered, alhamdulillah).

The tree that I fell from, Batu Chondong Hill trail

Truthfully, I did not felt pain when I fell. Maybe I was in a daze but I also like to think that it was because Azratee and Aisyah comforted me. They were willing to slow down to my injured pace and hold my hand as I descended. I, who tends to be secretive, came to terms to the fact that expressing can reduce emotional hurt. 

5. Learning is infinite
To be honest, Batu Chondong Hill trail was the fastest hike for me in comparison to Kutu Hill, Botak Hill, and Mount Datuk. My knee didn't hurt one bit! Indeed, with experience comes skill. But, falling down from a tree, teaches me that I must never feel over confident. I should always be humble, careful, and keep on learning to become better. 

Gasing Hill is an educational jungle set in bustling Petaling Jaya, my very first hiking trail as an adult. Hence the word "educational" absolutely hit home with me because I had learned my very first lesson there; hiking is therapeutic. I remember that I was almost near crazy trying to include waqf (Google it!) into my economic model.

Gasing Hill trail

6. History is a great teacher
History has always been close to my heart. I was the best student for history during PMR (a centralised exam for Form 3 students during my time) and History of Mathematics was my favourite subject during undergraduate studies. My first publish book (which I retracted, by the way) was inspired from that subject.

People always say that we should forget the past. That, in my opinion, is utterly wrong. We have to accept and learn from it because the past is an invaluable teacher. Events in the past, can help guide our thoughts, feelings, actions, and decision making. For instance from the Quran:

And We certainly sent Noah to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years minus fifty years, and the flood seized them while they were wrongdoers. (Surah Al-Ankabut: 14)

This verse teaches us that even 950 years of effort can't change people's minds. It is really up to the individual themselves. Yet the Prophet Noah pressed on because he knows that ALLAH counts his effort; not whether he succeeds or not. As such, we should internalise these lessons that had occurred in the past when we read this verse. Not to mention, finance and economic, two out of many "professional" and "real" areas, still rely heavily on historical data for forecasting.

It is the reason of history that I attempted the Mount Berembun trans Telapak Buruk trail in Pantai twice. During the first try, I wasn't able to reach the World War-II B-24 Liberator air craft crash site. Still eager to see, I attempted the second time and made it to the site. Indeed, nobody can ever know how death may approach.

Remains of the aircraft on Telapak Buruk

 
7. Living reminders of God
It is hard to shake the awe that every hill and mountain hiking has to offer. The animals serve as a reminder that ALLAH is Al-Khaliq (The Creator) while the ruins elucidate ALLAH as Al-Mumeet (The Destroyer). The fruits and rushing water speak of ALLAH Al-Muqeet (The Feeder) while the view from the mountain top shouts ALLAH Al-Aliyy (The Most High). Easy trails echo ALLAH Ar-Raheem (The Merciful) while the arduous ones constantly whisper ALLAH Al-Hafiz (The Guarding One). When I rest and put my head on the bare ground in prayer, I can't help but hear ALLAH Al-Mujeeb (The Responding One). As I descend down the hill, got in my car, and head home, my heart sings ALLAH Al-Ahad (The One).

Broga Hill in Broga

Beautiful Lessons from Beautiful People

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

These past few months had been exceptionally challenging for me. Everything seems to be going downhill and my patience and acceptance of God's will have been tested greatly.

 
A hadith (traditions of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) that offers much motivation crossed my mind but it was difficult for me to digest its wisdom. This is the hadith:
 

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:

“Look at those who are lower than you (financially) but do not look at those who are higher than you, lest you belittle the favors Allah conferred upon you.” Agreed upon. Source

So ALLAH had helped me grasp this wisdom, and more, through one beautiful and strong woman.

Picture courtesy of pixabay hence not the woman I'm writing about

It was the kind of day where interaction with humans were stressful for me but my phone still made noise. I ignored it. But the same noise came from it; again and again. Reluctantly, I checked my phone and saw several messages from a close friend of mine. She needed to borrow some money so that she and her kids can eat. They hadn't paid their car loans and rents for months as her husband's business is suffering. She was also embroiled in other conflicts that I pray I won't ever have to go through in my existence.

I can't help but feel like a weak idiot; here I am feeling sorry for myself when others, closed others, are facing much bigger and more real problems.

But here comes the dilemma; I am saving for a rainy day. In case I can't finish my PhD studies on time, I can use my own money because my scholarship only cover three years. However, this hadith had resolved my dilemma:

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
"Whoever relieves a Muslim of a burden from the burdens of the world, Allah will relieve him of a burden from the burdens on the Day of Judgement. And whoever helps ease a difficulty in the world, Allah will grant him ease from a difficulty in the world and in the Hereafter. And whoever covers (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will cover (his faults) for him in the world and the Hereafter. And Allah is engaged in helping the worshiper as long as the worshiper is engaged in helping his brother." Source

In other words, if I want to be helped, I need to help others. Who knows, this might just be the sacrifice that I need to do in order for me to finish my PhD on time; or obtain more financially. Hence in the name of ALLAH, and my love for her, I gave her extra than what she initially asked to borrow.

It is my sincere hope that we can help ourselves by being grateful, and simultaneously help others in need. If this woman and the above hadiths do not motivate you enough, then perhaps this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson might just be right for you:

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 

Tafseer Surah An-Nur Verses 6 to 10 by Nouman Ali Khan (Week 3)

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

Before I start, week 2 tafseer had supposedly covered verse 5. Typical me, loosing focus so easily. But don't be disappointed. Ustaz (teacher) Nouman repeated a bit.


Verse 5

Source: The Nobel Quran

This verse simply states that although a person is fasiq (misguided), ALLAH will still forgive if (s)he repents.

Now moving back to the main topic, verses 6 to 10 touches on the topic of adultery that is done by married couples.

Verses 6 and 7

Source: The Nobel Quran

Verse 6 states that if a husband can't bring forward witnesses of his wife's adultery, then he can swear four times by ALLAH that indeed it happened. After swearing, he must also make an oath saying that ALLAH shall curse him if he lies.

Verses 8 and 9

Source: The Nobel Quran

The same goes to the wife. The wife will not be punish if she swears four times by ALLAH that her husband is lying. Then she must make an oath stating that she will face ALLAH's wrath should her husband tells the truth.

This process describe in verse 6 to 9 is actually call li'an in the laws of Islam.

Verse 10 

Source: The Nobel Quran

Notice that "And if not for the favor of ALLAH upon you and HIS mercy..." is an unfinished sentence. Unfinished sentences almost always happen when we are extremely angry. You know like, 'If you do that again, I'll...ARGH!" Get the feeling? So this phrase actually portrays how ALLAH is extremely furious with a wife that cheats on her husband. But still ALLAH says, "and because ALLAH is Accepting of repentance and Wise". In other words, should the wife repents, ALLAH will still forgive her of this despicable sin.


Before I end this post, I would like you to observe something. Recall from week 2 that after narrating about adultery done by single (wo)men in verse 2 to 3, and after false accusations in verse 4, ALLAH says in verse 5 that HE will forgive should (s)he repents. Same goes in verse 10. ALLAH forgives the wife who cheats on her husband on the condition that she repents. Thus what we can derive here again is that Islam is a religion that is full of mercy; not harshness.

Tafseer Surah An-Nur Verses 2 to 4 by Nouman Ali Khan (Week 2)

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

Alhamdulillah (all praise be to ALLAH and thanks to ALLAH), I was given the opportunity to attend the tafseer (explanation) of certain verses from Surah An-Nur (chapter 24 of the Quran); presented by Nouman Ali Khan. The talk is organised every Saturday in August after Asar prayer until Maghrib prayer (about 5pm to 7.25pm) at the Wilayah Mosque, Kuala Lumpur. So should any of you live nearby, do attend the next sessions.

Back to the topic.

To be honest, the tafseer was until verse 5 (according to my husband) but I didn't jot anything down about it. But despite my obvious lack of focus, I was still able to collect valuable gems from verses 2 to 4.

Verse 2 

Source: The Noble Quran

One glance of this verse would portray that the religion of Islam is cruel and harsh but don't state your verdict yet. Let's first analyse my notes pertaining to the historical, cultural, and linguistic context of this verse.

During the time of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him (pbuh), prostitution was out in the open. A prostitute would put a certain flag on her door signalling to men that should he want zina (sexual intercourse outside of marriage), then he can come to her. Obviously, everyone knows what that flag meant. Thus a public crime such as this deserves a public punishment. On top of that, it is to make certain without doubt that they have indeed being punished

These 100 lashes that should be done in public however, have certain conditions according to fiqh (laws in Islam). Scholars say that it cannot be done in a cold day or hit parts of the body that can cause major injury. The reason behind this is because they are being punish enough.

"...and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of ALLAH, if you should believe in ALLAH and the Last Day" has dimensions of meaning to it. Firstly, the person who is carrying out this punishment should feel pity towards those who are going to be punished. If he doesn't feel pity, then there's something wrong with his heart. Secondly, the reason he should perform this punishment is because ALLAH commands it; nothing more.

Lastly, there is a very powerful reason behind the statement "...And let a group of believers witness their punishment". Believers should witness the crime because believers would make do'a (prayer) for them. Only believers would ask ALLAH to forgive their sins, only believers would desire good for them, and only believers would feel sad. If non-believers were to watch, they would assume the punishment as a show, they would see it for fun, and ridicule the ones who are being punished.

On a very important side note, take notice that this verse is condemning those who commit zina in public. This verse didn't mention about those done privately. When analyse carefully, this is proof of how Islam is such a rahmah (loving and merciful) that the religion doesn't punish acts of zina that are done in secret. Even if someone had seen and report this act, there are strict conditions for the one who reports (details will be given in verse 4). Islam instead urges the fornicator to do sincere taubah (the act of seeking forgiveness from ALLAH) and to know that ALLAH never punishes a person (even if HE seems to be punishing) after (s)he does taubah.

There is a Hadith (tradition of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh) about a woman who had committed zina and felt such remorse that she asked the Prophet pbuh to punish her. But the Prophet pbuh said that she should just go. She came to the Prophet pbuh a few times and he told her the same thing. Take notice that the Prophet pbuh was reluctant to punish her. Thus this is again another proof of how Islam is a religion full of rahmah. But after that, she told the public that she had committed zina; leaving the Prophet pbuh with no choice but to punish her.

Verse 3

Source: The Noble Quran

This verse is quite a direct one; believers are not to marry a fornicator. In the present context, believing men and women should not marry those who love going to night clubs, who has multiple partners, and the likes. Besides, if we think about it, (wo)men who goes to night clubs etc would choose a husband/wife that's alike. Same goes to believing (wo)men; they would also choose someone alike. But bare in mind that should a fornicator makes sincere taubah, then (s)he can indeed marry a believer.

Here, Nouman Ali Khan had made a small comment on what has pornography done to us. Pornography had turned intimacy that is supposed to be an act of love, an act that brings husband and wife closer to each other like never before, into an act of animals. According to him, 80% of pornographic content are violent. Plus Islam teaches us that intimacy is like clothing for the husband and wife which symbolises protection and love; not pain, and definitely not a thing that can be turned into a profitable industry. 

Verse 4

Source: The Noble Quran

Picking up from the paragraph before last in verse 2, the one who complains must bring forth 4 witnesses that had also saw the fornication happening. On top of that, these witnesses must clearly see that the man's organ went inside the woman's. This of course, is impossible to prove hence shows how Islam is full of rahmah; Islam doesn't want to punish.

If the one who complaint can't produce the above, then (s)he should be punished instead and his/her testimony can never be taken. Ever. Unless if (s)he does sincere taubah.

There are four or five reasons why this said person is punish so harshly and his/her testimony can never be trusted. But I only managed to jot down two because I lost my focus! Sorry for that. Anyway, the two reasons are (1) this sort of person loves to destroy people's dignity and, (2) they love to insinuate. Those who loves to insinuate are clearly fasiq (definitely misguided).


Before I end this post, I would like to present to you a sort of summation from the tafseer of these verses:

1) The reason for hudud is to get rid of the extreme in society, to protect the society, and not to punish
2) The most important thing for a Muslim is iman and it is protected by doing taubah
3) Islam is a religion of rahmah.

God willing, I will post week 3 of Tafseer Surah An-Nur next week.

My Free Upcoming Novelette: Enlightened Writing

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

As was posted before, Letters to God tells of a woman named Sarah who is contemplating suicide. This very fact goes against all her moral fiber since she considers herself religious. However, she feels that the load on her shoulder is wearing her off. She feels that all the prayers that she had offered to God were for nothing.

The near epitome of this dilemma inside her is what I try to narrate in Letters to God. In my attempt to do this, I need to understand various concepts in Islam among others. This simultaneously help me as an author to grow spiritually.
              

1. The Names of ALLAH
Letters to God mostly centers on the Names of Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim and Al-Alim. Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim, in crude translation, means the Most Beneficient and the Most Merciful. Meanwhile, Al-Alim means the All Knowing.

In her depression, Sarah struggles to understand these attributes of ALLAH. Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim mean that God always love her and never intend evil on her. Al-Alim on the other hand, should put her heart at ease safe in the fact that there's wisdom behind her situation, good or "bad". These Names show that God loves her deeply and that everything happens for a reason. Hence it is imperative that Sarah registers this should she want to rise up from depression.      

2. al-Qada' wa'l-Qadar (Divine Will and Decree)
I have to admit, I never really understood the concept of al Qada' wa'l-Qadar. I mean, if our destiny has already been planned for us, why should we try and pray to God for whatever we want in the first place? In Sarah's context, if she were meant to kill herself, why must she put a stop to this thought? Might as well go on with it.

The above arguments spell the need to research al-Qada' wa'l-Qadar. Thanks to ALLAH, I came across these videos: The Pen and the Tablet, Divine Decree, The Content Believer, and Altering Destiny.

According to the videos, ALLAH has instructed the Pen to write down every detail of our life in the Tablet; whether we will be successful or fail, have children or barren, died later or earlier, happy or miserable etc. But still, we can change our course of destiny by making do'a (pray). At the same time, know that that particular destiny has also been written already. In other words, the Tablet already contains that at which will happen if we make do'a and what happens if we do not. If we ponder this concept deeply, we can handle whatever live throws at us and come to terms with it.

Merging points 1 and point 2, it is imperative to try and pray; and whatever the end result is, good or "bad", Sarah should be contended with the decree of ALLAH. Therefore, this is another concept that Sarah has to understand before deciding to take her own life.

3. Humans as 'abd
'abd when translated roughly, means slaves; people that are abused, used, and given no wage. In the Quran however, 'abd are slaves that are loved, being taken care of, and rewarded according to their deeds. In other words, 'abd has a Master which is ALLAH and ALLAH loves, cares, and rewards us accordingly. On top of that, ALLAH is the creator of 'abd while slaves in human definition was not created by their master.

In her depression, Sarah has to acknowledge the fact that by being 'abd and the created, she does not have the right to rebel to God. She doesn't have the right to decide anything simply because she wasn't there when ALLAH created her. Instead, she needs to submit her logic, intellect and rationale to ALLAH; taking comfort in the attributes of Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim, and Al-Alim (point 1). Concurrently, she can also make do'a to change her situation and be satisfied with whatever the result of her do'a is.


All in all, writing Letters to God (which I still am doing) is also an effort of mine to embody these three concepts in Islam. When my novelette is out (which I seriously don't know when), I feel that I've accomplished something; even if nobody wants to read it.

But still, aren't you a wee bit curious? Don't you want to know whether Sarah, being religious, truly understand these concepts? And if she does or doesn't, will that influence her decision about taking her own life?

Making Peace with the Story of Our Life

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

We often wonder how our life came down to this. Instead of traveling around the world, we are still stuck at the same place. We thought that marriage are full of roses but we forgot that roses have thorns. The high pay job we now have comes at the expense of family. We couldn't quite grasp the fact that we are condemned to die at such young age. And there are many other downs unique to each of us.

However we know, lamenting can never help. We acknowledge the fact that we only have this one life here on earth, so we need to hold ourselves together. Surely, there is peace amidst all of these.


1. Count our blessings 
Try and list all the favors that God has given us. For instance eyes to see, a nose to smell, a tongue to taste, ears to listen, legs to walk, clothes to keep warm, family to go home to, friends to hang out with, a car to travel, and many others. You'll find that the things that God has already given us is uncountable.  

"And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful." (Quran: Chapter 14, Verse 34)

2. Observe those who are less fortunate than us
We always envy those who have more than us. But we rarely see people who own less than us. For example the homeless, people in war torn countries, people who live a lonely life, unemployed, etc. So force ourselves to look at those below us. As a result, we become more grateful and at peace with ourselves.

"When one of you looks at one who stands at a higher level than you in regard to wealth and physical structure, he should also see one who stands at a lower level than you in regard to these things (in which he stands) at a higher level (as compared to him)." (Sahih Muslim no. 2963)

3. Know that God is the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, and the All Knowing
The One God in Islam has many names. Two of them are Ar-Rahman (Most Compassionate) and Ar-Rahim (Most Merciful). This means that ALLAH loves and never have ill intention towards us whatsoever. In addition to that, the name All Knowing suggests that everything that happen in our lives, whether good or bad, happens for a reason. Thus, even when we are in a bad situation, do not be angry at God because it happens with love and reason. Instead, accept it with a humble heart.

4. Effort, pray, and submit (EPS)
Being grateful is not enough, however. We should do something about our situation whatever it may be. Unemployed? Be your own boss by starting a business. Marriage in shambles? Set up an appointment with a marriage counselor. In between efforts, pray to God that HE'll give you better. Submit yourself to him and understand that:

The Lost Adab

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

Freedom of expression is a right that anyone possess. Everyone's been practicing it; including me. But unfortunately, many have use it as an excuse to abandon etiquette (adab). In the guise of freedom of speech, we use profane words just to proof our point. In the guise of freedom of speech, we say hurtful, provocative, and racist words on top of our excessive anger; despite the fact that we know how to say the same thing in a polite but firm manner. Perfect examples of these and many others are especially rampant on social media platforms.

Source: Nouman Ali Khan Collection

In truth, it is our natural tendency to like something that is beautiful such as good manners. Thus it is quite astonishing how we are lacking in that aspect. It is also unbelievable how some disregard adab as something imperative to possess. I guess we had forgotten that adab is what makes us human. In this post, I intend to remind us just this.

1) It is okay to be silent
From my observation, the need to state an opinion for practically every issue known to mankind have become a new culture on social media; even though when we don't particularly understand that issue. Instead of researching it first, we haphazardly take a stand and post it on Facebook anyway. Sometimes we even post it just to gain attention. Not only we manage to make a fool out of our self, we had also slandered an innocent group or individual.

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And a Muhajir (emigrant) is the one who gives up (abandons) all what Allah has forbidden."(Sahih al-Bukhari, no.10)

This new culture has spawn point no.2 onwards.


2) Stop passing unfair judgement
Unfair judgement, born mainly out of false aspersions, leads to character assassination. Should we become the target, the possibility of broken relationships, lost in confidence, and ultimately depression is highly likely. Yet we simply love doing this to others.

"O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful." (Quran, 49:12) 


3) Refrain from using profanity and excessive angst
Look at it this way. Don't you always feel that something is wrong with a person who acts like these? What would you feel if someone uses this kind of language to you or your loved ones? And isn't anger management a mental problem that requires the assistance of psychologists?

Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said, "The believer does not insult the honor of others, nor curse, nor commit Fahishah, nor is he foul." (At-Tirmidhi, no. 1977)


4) Don't be shy to admit mistakes
Unhealthy debates has certainly become a social media norm. Comments on Facebook for instance show that many are blind to their mistakes. Even when the truth is stark clear, there will always be a group of commentators unwilling to admit that they are wrong. Admitting mistakes has somehow become a sign of weakness when it is actually a sign of arrogance. For me personally, admitting to one's mistake is a sign of courage and a humble soul instead.  

Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said, "Whoever has a mustard seed's weight of pride (arrogance) in his heart, shall not be admitted into Paradise. And whoever has a mustard seed's weight of faith in his heart, shall not be admitted into the Fire." (At-Tirmidhi: no.1998)

From this moment forth, let's take a moment to think before posting, sharing, and commenting anything on social media. Stop being an online robot which we are not. Let's instead start to become human again.

Death: How to Live Like We're Dying

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

My mother lost her cousin last week.

My friend lost her fiancee the day after. And she was supposed to get married in 3 days.

Both tragic events I came to know about the moment I woke up in the morning. That's two days straight God reminded me that we are all going to die.

One Hadith (tradition of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh) kept nagging at the back of my head since then. But I'm not sure which one. After some research, I finally found it:

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:
"Increase in remembrance of the severer of pleasures." Meaning death. (At-Tirmidhi, no.2307)

How exactly can we remind ourselves of death when it's a lethargic thought? But is it lethargic in the first place? Before we decide, let's listen to this song first:



My decision is no! And my answer to the previous question is we should live like we're dying!

1. Only buy what we need
Each time we're purchasing an item, ask ourself if we really need it. Whether it be our fifth handbag or the latest iPhone model, say to ourself, "It's not like I can bring this to my grave" or "Life's short. Better spend my money on something more meaningful".

2. What do we cherish in life?
Make a list on who or what is important to us. Put pictures of them on our working table. It might be our parents, wife/husband, children, pet, vintage camera, etc. Then we come to realise that one of the reasons we cherish them is because they won't be with us forever. That WE won't be with them forever.

3. Draw our life's roadmap
Think deeply of what we want to accomplish in life, our passion, and what we can contribute to society. Then translate it on a piece of paper. For instance, graduating at 23, travel around the world at 25, get married at 30, published several books by 40, etc. Soon enough we'll see that the road ends at death.

4. Live simply
In my personal experience, to gain focus in life is to declutter my thoughts and surroundings. Throw way negative thoughts, donate what we don't need, and break up with extravagance. This will leave us with additional space to ponder on a worthy life. A life that is lived like we're dying! 


p/s: Very sorry for not posting anything last week :-(

Simple Affordable Islamic Wedding: How to Coax Your Parents So You Can Have One

Assalamualaikum and greetings dear Bits and Pieces readers,

You fell in love with the love of your life.

Both of you decide to get married.

Both of you agree to a simple Islamic wedding concept.

The guy comes to your house and request your hand from your parents.

Parents: Alhamdulillah (thank God). We agree.
You and lover: (Smiling so big that the edges of your lips are touching your ears)

Parents: Now let's discuss the terms.
The lover: Well we decided to...
Parents: We shall invite 1000 people!
You: But...

Parents: We shall have ten different types of food for our guests! 
You: But...

Parents: We must have a dais (pelamin) like the kings and queens!
You: But...

Parents: You shall wear thick but natural looking makeup so we are going to hire a makeup artist for you!
             On top of that, we will rent the most exclusive wedding gown. Or probably buy one? 
You: But...

Your mother: You must wear my hand jewellery, ankle jewellery, and we must get you a crown!
You: But...

Parents: So the dowry will be (out come the calculator)... RM50,000? Oh but we understand (speaking to                 the guy), you just started your job. Let's make it RM10,000. This will be our last responsibility to  
             our daughter so we don't really mind. Come to think of it, why should we complicate matters? Just
             follow our terms and people won't call us cheapskates.
You and your lover: (Both in total shock. And although both mouths are wide open, saying anything might
                              be taken as insolence)

This leaves you love birds with four choices:
1) Postpone the wedding to save for dowry and the chances of getting near to zina (sex out of marriage) is
    high. 
2) Don't postpone the wedding but go to the bank or a loan shark for fast loan approval. Chances of zina is
    low but you will be indebted for not only the principal, but the interest (or profit when you borrow
    from Islamic Banks) too.
3) Discuss with your parents and the chances of going near to zina is low plus you won't be indebted.
4) Say goodbye and don't get married. Chances of getting near to zina is also low and you won't be
    indebted.

But both of you just can't! You love each other deeply! So no.4 is out of the question. These leaves 3 options. Options 1 and 2 are risky while option 3 requires a delicate approach.

Let's say you opt for option 3 because you are the smart one. But then you start to have doubts, "will I be able to convince my parents"?

Well before you start considering the other options again, come and read these tips first.

A Malay wedding. Mine, actually :-)

1) Target the rational parent and spell out the problem
From my observation, the rational parent is always the father. Tell how you feel in a polite way to him. Tell him why you want to have a simple affordable Islamic wedding. For example you want to have money for renting a house, to save for your future children, and other marriage expenses that have far more important uses than a wedding reception. Respectfully point out to him that a simple wedding follows the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him (pbuh), and that wastefulness and being affected too much by people's perception is not part of Islam. Then ask your father's help to use his charm as a lover to cajole your mother. Don't worry too much. They have been living together for decades so your father should know how to approach your mother very well.

Your role doesn't stop here though. You can also contribute to that effort.



2) Watch or go to Islamic talks about marriage together with your parents

In preparing yourself to become a wife and a mother, I suggest you listen to talks by Islamic speakers. There are tonnes of those on Youtube and even held at your area, sometimes. What you can do is casually invite your parents to watch the video or attend the talk together. Make it like a family time. Pay the fees (if the talk is a paid one) to give them a slight push. Besides, hearing from a Muslim scholar that true Islamic weddings are simple has a more powerful effect than you telling them yourself. Plus, the parents won't feel that you are looking down on their iman or that you are being self righteous. 


3) Be a casual sly fox  
Fox is a symbol of cunningness and intelligence. So you must be one too. Assess your surroundings and see whether you can plant the idea of a simple wedding in your parents mind. A bonus is when you can make it look like it's their idea. Examples of situations (surroundings) include when your relatives are coming over, your family are going out to dinner, or when you spend time watching TV dramas with your parents. You can think of other suitable situations too. 

One practical example is when you, your mother, and your aunts are admiring a simple wedding card invitation from a neighbour. So you can probably say, "The card looks simple. They must have planned to cut down their expenses to save money for their future children. Good thinking!"


4) Make doa (prayers to God)
Last but not least, make doa to ALLAH so that HE can inspire in them the idea of a simple wedding. Ask ALLAH to make them stronger so that they can ignore people's perception. Beg ALLAH to make your parents firm in following the Quran and the Sunnah. Be confident that ALLAH listens to your every doa.


But remember, you can't always get what you want.

Maybe your parents agree to cut down the guests to 500 people but they are adamant to invite many of their friends. So you have no choice but to leave some of your friends out.

Your parents might insist that you buy a wedding gown. Hence you might want to buy one that is affordable and suitable to be used even after your wedding function.

Your mother might want you to wear her jewelries when you don't want to wear any. And there's nothing wrong in choosing one that is less conspicuous. 

And many others.

I am sure your future spouse won't mine with the give and take.

Well I hope this post can help you decide. And I hope this has been beneficial. See you in the next post, God willing!