9:50 am – PICC ,Putrajaya
“We’re late, the speech has started!”
You’ll gonna miss the powerful welcoming speech by Sheikh Yahya!”
“ok, ok, just keep walking and stop nagging” :p
Hehe, eventually, we arrived at the venue around 10 am, just after Sheikh Yahya Ibrahim had ended his speech with the greeting of Salam. Ok, so, is there any interesting topic he came up in his speech just now?
I was eager to know when my sister smiled and answered;
“There are two kind of people in this hall today, the one that will walkout and got nothing, and the one that will walkout and change, you choose!"
“That what I called a powerful welcoming speech” Really, the phrase do catch my attention as I take my seat just beside my younger sister who came a bit early that morning ( we came with a different car )
“ What’s more do I get for this entire day, I can’t hardly wait, Subhanallah, I can see that the venue is fully seated by audience from all around the world, and whenever Dr Zaharuddin Bin Abdul Rahman name was mentioned as the next speaker, our host would asked;
“ Is there any IIUM student here, and they would be a crowd of people who would cheer up clapping their hands and some would answered proudly, ‘ME’.
“ok, sure they would come, and that instance, I turned to my right side and smile anxiously to my dearest aunt ( young aunt, btw, she is just 18 years old ) who is still studying as a CFS student in IIUM PJ, give her a wink that say;
“ya, we are IIUM student!” and my sisters will look at us with a smirk;
“ok, we all know you are IIUM students, don’t need to tell the entire world” with that unsatisfying look in their eyes..LOL
USIM girls with their jealousy would be our answer to them.. haha,sorry sis;)
Right, how is it for a start? ☺
Our Journey of faith has just begun~
One of the talk that really intrigued me is a talk entitled “ Our Youth , the Foundations of the Exemplary Community” by Sheikh Navaid Aziz, one of the instructor of Al-Maghrib Institute in USA.
As the majority of the participants are no doubt still can be categorized as youth, it did give us as youth a better view in the thing we should consider as substantial in our life.
“There are 7 main categories in a wheel to help us (the youth) realize our true potential.
The first thing that is listed is our Deen!
As I recall when ever I attend Al-Maghrib Institute’s seminars, they would talk it over and over again, even I can’t forget the formulae ever since, So what is the formulae? Let me share it with you.
Let us take a step back to the history of our prophet, Muhammad S.A.W, when the first revelation that had been sent to him is Surah Al-Alaq,
“Recite in the name of your Lord who created”
It is mention from the first verse itself, the word IQRA’ which mean RECITE, that most scholars agreed that this word gives the indication of the importance of seeking knowledge ( all kind of knowledge which benefits the deen ), and above all, the knowledge of the Creator and this Deen (ISLAM) .
Read continuously as the more you learn, the more you realize how little you know, I suggest a continuous learning will be the best thing to do! After all, you’ll always get to learn something whenever you open a book, right?:)
Isn’t that Rasulullah had left us the two most valuable things that will never let us astray if we hold fast to them ? Quran and the Sunnah!
And this just remind me of what had Sheikh Hussein Yee said, when he challenge us;
“ You proclaimed that you love Allah, but have you spare your time in reading His word? (Quran ), if so, have you memorize it? And if so, have you try to understand His words and implement it in your everyday life?”
“ You proclaimed that you love the prophet, but have you spend your time to go through all of his hadis? If so, have you memorize it all? And if so, have you try to understand and implement it in your everyday life? “
Subhanallah, indeed, there are still a long way ahead us, and still, we think that we had knew enough? I believe that, our deen is not just about praying five times a day, or fasting in the Ramadhan, or paying the zakat, or perform istikharah ( seriously, I can’t understand why most of us are more worried of something that is not certain
(marriage) rather than something that will be a certainty to us (death).
But, as I say, Islam is more than that, it is our way of life, it start from the time we arise early in the morning until we close our eyes at night. Its about our relationship with the Creator and our relationship with His creation. It is about sharing and helping others , rather just helping yourself , indeed, and this is how it is revealed in the next revelation to our prophet, which is Surah Al-Muddaththir, verse 1 and 2;
“O you who covers himself [with a garment], Arise and warn“
Isn’t cleared that Allah ordered Muhammad S.A.W to arise from his bed and warn his people about Him and Islam? Scholars agreed that this verses show how much important that we have to implement the knowledge that we had learn, especially the knowledge of our deen. But when it comes to implementing it, some of us forget the most important thing of their purpose of creation,
“And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me.”
(Az-Zariyat: 56)
Let us reflect our action in everyday life, is it just the matter of pleasing people or pleasing the one and only Lord, Allah? I believe, each of us has desire to live happily in this world, but it is important for us as well, to spend time and effort in investing in the hereafter. When I say, investing in the hereafter, I am promoting on our contribution to this deen. What can we do ( in our strength ) to help this deen? What would be your legacy for this ummah? I just can’t stop envying people who get to live while motivating others, sharing their knowledge of this deen, imagine, what blessing that Allah had bestow in one life whose work is travelling around the world spreading about Islam? Subhanallah, I love those kind of people, and hope to be one too one day! ( Amin )
This is absolutely different with one that makes the world record of travelling around the world within 365 days? That most of us now are busy with just making a world record? How about our real record that is written by Rakib and Atib?
People who aim the akhirah, will have a better life in this world, as I remembered a quote from our dear brother in Islam, he stated;
“As we drive in our road of life, we always need to refill our fuel ( IMAN ), let the 'dunya' be our transport to 'akhirah'”
In other words, whatever we try to achieve in this worldly life, let our ultimate goal be to enter the Jannah! After all, is not the best thing for a Mukmin to have is to see their Lord face when entering His paradise? I believe that is the greatest reward, indeed! And thus makes a believer to try their best to be on their best behaviour. It was mentioned good tongue leads to good heart, hence a person that properly guard his/her deen, will definitely has a good personality to begin with.
Walk the talk, would be my advise ;D ( for me too!)
It doesn’t matter who you are, share anything you know about deen to others, especially to which that are close to you, maybe you are not from that important and famous person, but you have important person around you, your family, your friend, your spouse, your children and your neighbors, you don’t have to be ‘someone’ to spread this knowledge, you just have to be yourself , the most important thing is your intention, let it be that so others can benefits what ever you had shared with them and brought them close to Allah in remembering Him.
The next formulae would be about the third revelation that Allah had revealed in Surah Muzammil verse 1 and 2; the most important thing indeed!~
“O you who wraps himself [in clothing], Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little”
It is all about our relationship with Him, as it is stated in this verse, praying in the night, is our qiamullail. Scholars believe that they are the power that lies in one’s qiamullail, when the time where all of our fellow humans are sleeping soundly, there is the time when we wake up and silence is the only sound, with the blessing of Allah, we take our ablution and pray tahajud.
That is the time, when there is One who remains awake and waits for us to call on Him. That is the time when Allah will come to His servants. Imagine this. The Lord of the universe has offered us a sacred conversation with Him. That Lord waits for us to come speak with Him, and yet many of us leave Him waiting while we sleep in our beds. Allah (swt) comes to us and asks what we want from Him. The Creator of all things has told us that He will give us whatever we ask.
We are told in the hadith qudsi:
“Our Lord descends during the last third of each night to the lower heaven, and says: ‘Is there anyone who calls on Me that I may respond to him? Is there anyone who asks Me that I may give unto him? Is there anyone who requests My Forgiveness that I may forgive him?’” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Imagine, at those moment of silence, in such a peaceful night, we raise our hand and we tell everything that happen to us to Him ( although there is no doubt that He knows all ), but still, you felt somewhat lighten up by having to release all your burden mind to Him, and suddenly, you felt relieved and tranquility entered your mind and heart at that moment, while you shed tears in front of Him, still your heart feel at ease, like someone has comfort you from your trouble.
That is the time we had our sacred conversation with our Lord.
Who would you think that know best about the creation other then it’s Creator itself? Just like scientists who knew best about their machines, carpenters who knew best about their furniture, architects who knew best about their buildings,
And who knows ourselves best other than Allah Himself? He is the one that create us, He is the one that knows us best!
On that Day, we will see the true reality. On that Day, we will realize that two rak`at (units) of prayer were greater than everything in the heavens and the earth. We will realize the priceless check that was left on our doorstep every night as we slept. There will come a day when we would give up everything under the sky just to come back and pray those two rak`at.
There will come a day when we would give up everything we ever loved in this life, everything that preoccupied our hearts and minds, every mirage we ran after, just to have that conversation with Allah. But on that Day, there will be some from whom Allah (swt) will turn away… and forget, as they had once forgotten Him. Nauzubillah!
Build your relationship with Allah! Pray tahajud! Have a sacred conversation with Him!
*reminding myself above others*
As we try to change to a better person in this world, remember this formulae and imply it in our daily life;
Recite, Warn, Build your relationship with Allah ;)
Insya Allah, we will be a better Muslim in a way that we can help others to know Him better, I believe the changes has to start from within ourselves…
As Rumi had quoted;
"Yesterday I was clever. That is why I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise. That is why I am changing myself".
P/ S : save the next categories for the next post, stay tuned☺
