Monday, July 13, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Note-taking
This notebook is a new home to the place where I will jot down notes from lectures, usrah, etc. Hopefully, EVERY pages will be filled in till the last page, not like my previous usrah books.
p/s : I'm sooo tempted to write short in this blog.. maybe I should start a new twitter account.. hurm
Labels: Life
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Independance
Today is an independence day for this country. Not that I am excited about it, but I was thinking of putting my portable HD video camera into good use, while I am still in the US. I thought of watching and recording a parade that was tentatively scheduled at noon. However, the weather did not seems benign. I did not even look outside, rather I just browsed through the internet for weather forecast in my area. Dark skies and rains throughout the day.
Surely, when people speak of independence day, sometimes they would talk about how we are not thoroughly independent. Through a Muslim's view, we talk about how we still struggling against our nafs. Also, how there are still influences from the British, western, etc. The education system, judiciary and many others are still based on the system that they introduced.
Those are valid and important points. However, I'll like to shy away from commenting on those notions. I was preparing for an exam this Monday (one of the reasons I miss ISNA this year) but was distracted by the monitor that sits in front of my eye. I turned it off for a while, but could not resist to turn it back to life after a short while. It is a distraction to my study. Talking about independence, we are getting too much dependent on the internet. When we're trying to find an interesting places to visit, while in a car, my friend took out his Google Android and began to browse through the net using EDGE or GPRS connection. When we're clueless about something, we tend to ask shaykh Google. Even for religious issues, we can easily know the answer by few clicks. I kinda remember reading somewhere that a guy thinks he know so much of religious aspects because he can simply 'google' it. Well, if you thinks the same, then everyone will be be on same level now because everyone has equal access to the internet, right? Everybody is a scholar. A scholar, only if he has access to the internet. That, of course, excludes people from China, if you know what I mean. But then, I remember the story of al-Ghazali, when a thief stole his notes and books. Right after that, he began to devote his knowledge into memory, not merely on paper.
Merdeka!
Wallahua'lam
Labels: Life
Friday, June 19, 2009
What should be our priority?
As I was reminded on how cheap raw water sold by Johor to Singapore is at 3 sen per 1k gallons, my thought rambled on how petty one cent is in our daily life. We may find one cent scattered on the floor and don't even consider trying to pick it up. The energy and effort to lower our body and stretch our hands worth more than a cent. However, if you think about it, that single cent can buy you 1k gallons of water. Just imagine how enormous the value of a cent is in that sense.
Most things are valued in regard to its scarcity. For instance, water is a scarce material in a desert, thus the value of water is high when you're in that circumstance. There is a story about a guy selling a jug of water at a desert to another rich guy who is in an extremely dehydrated condition. The seller has the upper hand then, because what is valued most at the situation at the rich guy's view is his life. Once he lost his life, his wealth would be meaningless . Hence, he's willing to forgo all his wealth for the sake of a jug of water that could spare his life. The story is more elaborated, nonetheless, the essence is that we tend to value something more when it is scarce. His wealth can buy him seas of water but he has no such luxury in his circumstance because what is needed is something that could revive his condition and saves his life, which is then not his wealth. Thus, his life is the utmost priority.
At this stage, we may consider life as the top of the priority in any circumstances. However, I want to remind you of the story of sahabah who are in dire need of water but prioritizes his companion over himself. One sahaba holds the jug but as soon as he sees his companion pleading for water, he passes the jug over to his companion without having a sip for himself. Take into account that he was in a severe condition that he would die in case he did not drink that water. And that is what eventually happened to him. What the story tells us is that there is actually something more important than our life. We heard about the story of sahaba who would die defending his faith or those who involve in fighting for their religion. Remember how Muslims are fearless in the battle for what they are fighting for is for eternal akhirah rather than worldly wealth. The pursuit for worldly material would render someone to forfeit the battle once he realizes that he would not gather anything from the battle.
In a nutshell, religion sits at the top of essentials that should be preserved in the maqasid sharia. It is more important than the life itself. That is why Muslims who die fighting for the religion are praiseworthy while those who commit suicide or kills the innocent are condemned to hellfire.
Wallahua'lam.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Reminder of death
It was dark, very early in the morning. I stopped by at a dimly lit gas station to refill our car tank. I pulled the gas holder pin, feeling glad that the machine did have gas in it. Nonetheless, it was terribly slow that I assume that it has already run short of gas at its disposal. I was disappointed, so I drove off quickly without realizing that my car's gas input hole (don't know what it's called) was not closed at all. Not even the rounded thingy that prevents the gas from leaking out. It was my friend who sat at the passenger's seat that discovered my carelessness, though it did not do much good, as I have already approached a nearby gas station that is located on the opposite side of the former station.
I expect much criticism and harsh comments, or at least a reminder from my friends due to my lack of cautiousness. However, I received none. Looks like everybody was exhausted and slept well. That left me ample of opportunity to reflect by myself how precious time that I lived on the earth is. How in a split of second death can come by, taking us away from our worldly material, even when we're not aware of it's coming. I imagine what could have happened if I had decided not to go to the other side of the road and proceed my way to the highway. The gas tank must have been exposed for longer while, the gas could have leaked out.
Astaghfirullah..
I was shaking by myself. I am certainly not ready to leave this world. Even worst in that circumstance that I was in at that moment.
We should always be seeking and praying for good end to our life on this earth. Remember how our Prophet tried to convince his uncle, Abu Talib to profess Shahadah at his last breath. How his fortune could have been different if only he was able to leave his honor in dunya for the benefit of his eternal akhirah?
I have heard too many deaths of late. Too many times we are saddened by it at the short moment we heard the news, but then we forgot about it as time progresses. I know my time will come eventually, regardless of whether I'm prepared for it or not. Regardless, the stake is high. You are preparing for something eternal. Hellfire is too fearsome even for a second.
I re-post this tazkira as a way to remind us of our transient life on the earth.
Wallahua'lam
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Commencement
The main focus for this weekend is none other than my commencement! yippie! Well, at this point, I agree with the cliche that is repeatedly voiced out when you have reached the end of four university years -- time flies soo fast. It is indeed true. I remember the exact moment about four years back when we're checking into temporary housing, right after our seniors picked us up at the airport. I was staring at my then third-year senior, when I began to visualize the moment when I'll be in their shoes; How things would turn out to be?
When I left high school, it was hard for me to believe that I actually had graduated from the school and entering a new life; university life. Five years of high school went by quickly. That was actually the event that triggered my mind to start visualizing how things would be when I graduate and ironically it was on my first day at States. Embarking on student's life, your vision and objective is clear, simply to be a good student and grab as much opportunity as you can as it is one-in-a-lifetime chance. That is the time when you should try to understand yourself and visualize where you will perfectly fit in when you move into the next level of your life.
I have to stop here. What I write might not always be what I really believed in. So, I'll keep my ramblings about my future to myself, family and closest friends.
Tomorrow is a big day for me. It's commencement day for UIUC Class 2009.
p/s : The term 'commencement' itself brings an important connotation. It implies the beginning, not an ending, which in a sense complements my ramblings.
Labels: Life
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