Dome of the Rock, Masjid al-Aqsa & al-Aqsa Masjid

What exactly constitutes the 'Masjid al-Aqsā'?

There has been a lot of confusion and even some controversy regarding the specific area demarcating the Masjid al-Aqsā. And every time someone posts a picture of the iconic 'Dome of the Rock', they get bombarded with well-intentioned commentators who say that this is a huge mistake, and that the 'Masjid al-Aqsā' is not the Dome of the Rock but rather the masjid south of it. This enthusiasm, while praiseworthy in its essence, is misplaced. 

The fact of the matter is that the term 'Masjid al-Aqsā' is actually the entirety of what is known as the 'Aqsa Complex' [or what is known in Jewish circles as the 'Temple Mount'], and includes many structures within it (see pictures). The Aqsā Complex is a large area that is roughly 37 acres - all of this comes under Masjid al-Aqsā.

In fact, the walls that demarcate the boundaries of the complex do not actually imply that the sacredness finishes beyond those wall - rather, the entirety of the area, and even city, is blessed and sacred. The Quran mentions that the land itself is blessed (الأرض التي باركنا فيها), and even the land around it (باركنا حوله). For logistical purposes, clearly a 'line' needs to be drawn where a masjid ends and residence areas begin - but that is for our own living purposes. In the Shariah, that region is holy, and the 'Masjid al-Aqsā' term, is not defined by what we humans have done by building a complex or a few structures.

All of the ḥadīth literature, and sīrah works, and early history books, refer to Masjid al-Aqsā as being in Jerusalem. In a Muttafaq `alayhī hadith, we are told that only three masjids can be traveled to: Masjid al-Ḥarām, the Prophet ﷺ's masjid, and Masjid al-Aqsā. It is explicitly mentioned that the Companions who entered Jerusalem thanked Allah for being allowed to pray in 'Masjid al-Aqsā'. 

When Umar (r) traveled to Jerusalem, according to all historical works, he himself prayed Jum'ah at the periphery of what is today the Complex, and demarcated a small masjid (which is known as Masjid Umar) that was the southernmost part of what the Christians considered the original location of the temple, and which they had abandoned, as they didn't consider it holy. This area was directly east of the remnants of Herod's Temple, now known as the Wailing Wall. Later, the Umayyads added to this masjid and constructed a larger masjid out of bricks - this is called the Marwānī Masjid, after the Caliph Marwān b. al-Ḥakam (d. 685 CE). This structure continued to expand, and some began calling it al-Aqsā Masjid, simply because it was and remains the largest, and first, masjid within the Aqsā Complex. It is also called Masjid al-Qibalī because it is the one that is on the qibla-side of the complex. 

The Caliph Abd al-Malik b. Marwān (d. 705 CE) was the one who built the magnificent structure of the Dome of the Rock behind the Marwānī masjid. Many parts of the current structure are original, and it is one of the oldest original structures of Islam still standing today. The Dome of the Rock houses the iconic small mountain that was a prominent feature of the Complex (and from which, according to folklore, the Prophet ﷺ was taken up - in actual fact we do not know the precise location from within the Complex where the ascension began). 

Throughout the course of history, many more structures and rooms were built within the Aqsā complex, and any video will show you the many dozens of constructions and trees and libraries. 

The claim that is held by some non-Sunnī groups that the Quranic term 'Masjid al-Aqsā' is a holy place in the heavens, and not on earth, is baseless and does not emanate from within the mainstream Sunnī tradition. Also there is clearly an element of animosity from these groups for Umar (r) and the Umayyads that fuels this eccentric belief. It is incontrovertible that the Companions and early Muslims all understood that Masjid al-Aqsā is in the city of Jerusalem. 

To summarize: the Quranic term 'Masjid al-Aqsā' does NOT apply only to one structure within the complex (including, confusingly enough, the structure commonly called al-Aqsa Masjid) and instead refers to the entirety of the complex, and even beyond. Hence, it's really not a mistake to show a picture of a part of the complex as Masjid al-Aqsa, we just need to teach the people that the entirety of the complex is sacred and a part of our history.

[Copied from Sh. Dr. Yasir Qadhi's Facebook post]

Sejarah: Kenapa UK & US Sokong Zionisme, dan Kenapa Negara Arab Senyap

Sebagaimana kita ketahui, konflik Palestin-Israel ada banyak kaitan dengan sejarah WWI & WWII.

[Bacaan 10 minit]

Isi Kandungan:

[I] Refreshing Memory: The Fall of Muslim Lands in WWI

[II] Tiga Perjanjian British Pasca-WWI [Figure Out: Kenapa Negara Arab Senyap di Abad Ke-21]

[III] Kenapa British dan Amerika Sokong Zionisme

[IV] Nota Tambahan: The After-Effects of WWI

Whose Footsteps Are You Following?

One of the most difficult matters for most of us is to praise our peers and colleagues, and find good in them. Shaytan whispers to us to inflate our egos, and to make us feel that *we* are better than others. And so, rather than looking at other people's praiseworthy characteristics, we look at their worst characteristics, and assume that we are better than them. Of course Shaytan would do this, for was he not the one who said, when Allah created Adam, "I am better than him!"?

Yet, look at the prophets of Allah. When Allah appointed Musa to go to the Israelites, and told him that He has preferred him over everyone else, Musa in his modesty and humility felt that his brother Harun (Aaron) was more eloquent than him, and asked Allah to make him a prophet as well, and to send him alongside Musa to the Pharaoh: "And my brother Harun - he is more eloquent than me, so send him as my helper and to confirm my truthfulness" [Qasas: 34]

So examine your own character: do you always see good in others, and assume they have qualities you do not have? If so, you are following in the footsteps of the prophets. Or do you always think you are better than others, and have qualities no one else has. If so, you are following in the footsteps of the enemy of the prophets.

Our Prophet (salla Allah alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever humbles himself for the sake of Allah, Allah will exalt him." May Allah make us of the humble.

[From: Shaykh Yasir Qadhi's FB Status]

Be Great, Anyway!

When you stand up and reach towards higher goals, those around you want you to sit back down, to lower your standards and to be average just like them. Greatness makes them uncomfortable.

But believers are not meant to be average, they are meant to stand out.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers.”

Do not fear being a “stranger” in wanting to follow the footsteps of our pious predecessors. They were never average! They were people of action, people of determination, people of lifelong commitment.

From: Brother Muhammad Alshareef's Facebook Status

Ultimate Supplication

As you go for taraweeh, as you listening to the Qur'an being recited, many people are standing there in prayer and they don't know what the Imaam is saying.

There will be days when the Imaam will cry, there will be du'as where everybody is bawling and tearing, and you might be one of the people that's just standing there saying, "Man, I wish I could understand what's being said. Coz then I could cry too".



There was an old man in our community (an old African American man) who once came to me in a hallway (it was in Islamic school back in the day) and he said, "I want you to translate everything that the Imaam was saying in Salaah". So I said to myself, "You want me to translate EVERYTHING that the Imaam says??".

And that brother, he actually had paper and pen with him. He wanted me to translate it right then and there.

So before I was about to tell him that, "You know what. I can't translate this. This is going to take like a couple of days to translate", the man started crying.

And from behind his tears, he said to me that "We're Muslim too. And if we understood the Arabic, we would cry just like you guys cry".

From: Br. Muhammad Alshareef's Taraweeh Truffle, Day 1 Video.

_________________________________________

5 days later:

(Copypasting from Br. Muhammad Alshareef's Facebook status):

Remember the opening Taraweeh Truffle video where I spoke about the older uncle who wanted to know what was said in the Witr in Ramadan that made everyone cry, and he wanted to cry too? Well, our poet brother Ammar AlShukry has put it together, spoken word style. Ma sha Allah.

Enjoy and share:

Sh. Yasir Qadhi's comment: "A beautiful Ramadan du'a, based on a number of authentic supplications from the hadeeth and commonly recited in the du'a al-witrs of these nights, by a dear student of mine, Ammar AlShukry. Enjoy!"

Sh. Waleed Basyouni's comment: "Good job by Ammar with this du'a that has a lot of supplications from the sunnah for English speakers in ‪#‎Ramadan‬."

________________________________

Sebelum mengakhiri, izinkan saya kongsi satu status FB random Sh. Waleed Basyouni:

"Before Maghrib you empathize with the poor

and after Maghrib you empathize with pregnant women.

#Ramadan"

I loled hard. #SoTrue

ORANG YANG MEMERINTAHKAN ANAK-ANAKNYA AGAR MEMBAKARNYA SETELAH DIA MATI

KISAH-KISAH YANG MENUNJUKKAN KEUTAMAAN AMAL:

ORANG YANG MEMERINTAHKAN ANAK-ANAKNYA AGAR MEMBAKARNYA SETELAH DIA MATI

PENGANTAR

Ini adalah kisah seorang laki-laki yang tenggelam di dalam dosa-dosa sepanjang hidupnya. Dia baru tersadar ketika Malaikat maut mengetuk pintunya dan mengajaknya untuk menghadap Tuhannya. Dia sangat ketakutan terhadap siksa Allah. Dia sadar bahwa dia tidak akan selamat dari Tuhannya, pada saat dia berdiri di hadapan-Nya. Dosa-dosanya menumpuk, dan kebaikan-kebaikannya nihil. Dia ingin berlari dari adzab- Nya. Satu-satunya jalan, menurutnya, adalah dengan membakar jasadnya setelah mati lalu abunya ditebar di laut dan di darat. Sebuah ide aneh yang mengisyaratkan dua perkara yang kontradiktif. Ketakutannya yang besar terhadap adzab Allah, ini termasuk ibadah besar. Dan ketidaktahuannya terhadap kodrat Allah, ini termasuk dosa besar. Allah memaklumi kebodohannya dan mengampuninya karena besarnya rasa takut yang dimilikinya.

Dream Interpretation Based on Qur'an and Sunnah

Dream interpretation (pentakwilan mimpi) doesn't have an exact science (and we will never have one, because it is of the matters of ruh; and Allah SWT said regarding the matters of ruh, "They ask you [O Prophet] about ruh; say, 'Its nature is known only to my Lord, and you [O humanity] have been given but little knowledge'" [Quran, 17:85],) however, we do have 17 general guidelines from the Qur'an and Sunnah:

1. There are 3 types of dream that we common people (non-prophets) see, baik Muslim baik non-Muslim:

i. Dreams from Allah SWT - (1) these type of dreams are generally good and positive; (2) they come true; (3) they could be visions of the future (could be of tomorrow, next year, or 10 years down the line); and (4) they never terrify you

ii. Dreams from Shaytan - (1) they terrify you (nightmares); (2) they are never true - so don't act upon them; and (3) we should not tell anybody of the dream

iii. Dreams from our own imagination; (1) the sign of this dream is that it vanishes from our memory after a short while - after a few minutes or hours or days.

Sebagaimana sabda Nabi SAW, "Mimpi itu ada tiga macam: (1) Mimpi yang baik adalah khabar gembira (glad tidings) dari Allah. (2) Mimpi yang menakutkan atau menyedihkan datangnya dari syaitan. (3) Mimpi yang timbul kerana ilusi angan-angan, atau khayal seseorang. Maka kerana itu, jika kamu bermimpi yang tidak kamu senangi, bangunlah, kemudian solat, dan jangan menceritakannya kepada orang lain." [Sahih Muslim, Jilid 4, No.2111]

Atau dalam hadith lain, baginda SAW bersabda, "Mimpi yang baik itu dari Allah, sedang mimpi yang tak tentu itu dari syaitan. Kalau seseorang bermimpi dengan mimpi yang tak tentu, hendaklah ia berlindung (kepada Allah) dari mimpi itu (dengan berta'awudz) dan hendaklah meludah (meniup) ke sebelah kirinya, kerananya mimpi buruk itu tidak akan berbahaya kepadanya." [Sahih Bukhari, Jilid 4, No.1849]

As for the prophets, of course their dreams were all wahyu from Allah SWT.

And yes, even non-Muslims see true dreams. E.g. the dream of the Egyptian King during the time of Nabi Yusuf AS, the dreams of the two prisoners, both found in Surah Yusuf [12:36 & 12:43]; the dream of Atikah, the aunt of the Prophet SAW about the after-effects of the Battle of Badr (Perang Badar); and the dream of the grandfather of the Prophet SAW about the location of the Well of Zamzam; etc. They were all non-Muslims.

That's My Brother!

Copy-pasted from my brother's Facebook (perkongsian Julai lalu):

-Begin Quote-

[TRAGEDI SAHUR]

Pagi tadi saya dan zaujah meng'up'kan selera mengada-ngada untuk bersahur di Encik Kepci di pantai terkemuka Kuantan, Teluk Chempedak.

Seperti biasa sama ada Ramadhan atau tidak, TC dipenuhi golongan pelbagai usia majoritasnya anak muda, malah ramai juga pelajar-pelajar sekolah (without parents)...

Selesai sahur, berdating ambil angin pantai sekitar 5.40 pagi (dah masuk subuh), ternampak sekumpulan anak muda masih sedang 'bersahur' maggi cup & rokok elektronik. Ada lelaki, ada perempuan.

On the way lalu kali ke-2, jam 6 pagi, mereka masih lagi 'bersahur'. Saya dan zaujah dalam senyuman memberitahu, "Dik...Dah subuh dah"
Seorang adik lelaki jawab, "Eh, ye ke kak. Dah ni yang tengah makan ni macamana?"

Kami jawab, "Habiskan yang dalam mulut tu je :D"

"Eh, bbazzir la nanti", jawab adik tu gelak-gelak dan kawan-kawan yang lain hanya senyum.
Kami pun berlalu. Tegur sekadar mungkin mereka tidak perasan waktu subuh sudah masuk. Mungkin tak seorang pun antara mereka memakai jam.

Dan sekiranya mereka tahu sekalipun, mungkin pemahaman & pendidikan mereka tidak sama dengan sebahagian kita yang, alhamdulillah, menerima pendidikan agama yang baik daripada keluarga & guru.

Kami tidak ada rasa jijik & geli dengan golongan adik-adik tadi..kerana yang bermain dalam fikiran hanyalah...

"Adakah dakwah yang kita semua sama-sama sampaikan (semua jemaah, semua golongan) sentiasa canang & uar-uarkan benar-benar tercapai matlamatnya & targetnya."

Jika golongan ibu bapa yang sudah 'besar' dan sudah banyak makan asam garam hanya mendabik dada dengan ego yang tidak berkesudahan, maka sama-samalah kita mulakan dari rebung yang insyaAllah masih ada harapan tinggi untuk dilentur :D

Sentiasa terkesan dengan tagline Tuan Muhammad Rizal M, 'Fasilitator juga dai'e'. Ya, dakwah banyak cara & cabangnya :D

Jom!

-End Quote-

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّما أَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌ

Maka berilah peringatan, kerana sesungguhnya KAMU HANYALAH orang yang memberi peringatan. [Al-Qur'an, 88:21]



...فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا فَما أَرْسَلْناكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفيظاً إِنْ عَلَيْكَ إِلاَّ الْبَلاغُ
Oleh itu, jika mereka berpaling ingkar, MAKA KAMI TIDAK MENGUTUSMU (wahai Muhammad) SEBAGAI PENGAWAS TERHADAP MEREKA; tugasmu tidak lain hanyalah menyampaikan... [Al-Qur'an, 42:48]



قَدْ جاءَكُمْ بَصائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَ مَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْها وَ ما أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفيظٍ
(Katakanlah wahai Muhammad): Sesungguhnya telah datang kepada kamu keterangan-keterangan (dalil-dalil dan bukti) dari Tuhan kamu; oleh itu sesiapa melihat (kebenaran itu serta menerimanya) maka faedahnya terpulang kepada dirinya sendiri dan sesiapa buta (dan enggan menerimanya) maka bahayanya tertimpalah ke atas dirinya sendiri dan TIADALAH AKU BERKEWAJIPAN MENJAGA DAN MENGAWASI KAMU. [Al-Qur'an, 6:104]



وَ ما أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفيظٍ...
...DAN AKU BUKANLAH ORANG YANG MENJAGA DAN MENGAWAS PERBUATAN KAMU. [Al-Qur'an, 11:86]

P/S: Seperkara lagi. Dalam ayat Al-Qur'an [6:104] di atas, kalian dapat lihat bahawa: yang bertanggungjawab terhadap perbuatan dirinya adalah mereka yang TELAH DATANG KEPADANYA KETERANGAN DARI TUHAN. i.e. bukan golongan jahil.

Jadi tumpukan juga perhatian kepada ayat adik saya: "Mungkin pemahaman & pendidikan mereka tidak sama dengan sebahagian kita yang, alhamdulillah, menerima pendidikan agama yang baik". Jadi janganlah kita terlalu bersikap judgmental terhadap mereka yang jahil.

Bagi pendakwah yang judgmental, ini ayat untuk kalian:

وَ أَطيعُوا اللَّهَ وَ أَطيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَإِنَّما عَلى‏ رَسُولِنَا الْبَلاغُ الْمُبينُ

Dan ta'atlah kepada Allah dan ta'atlah kepada Rasul-Nya, jika kamu berpaling, sesungguhnya kewajiban Rasul Kami hanyalah menyampaikan (amanat Allah) DENGAN TERANG. [Qur’an. 64:12]

Emphasisnya adalah pada frasa "DENGAN TERANG", "AL-MUBEEN". Jadi sebelum kalian memarahi golongan jahil, fikirkanlah terlebih dahulu tanggungjawab kalian menyampaikan amanat Allah DENGAN TERANG.

Atau bak kata adik saya, "Adakah dakwah yang kita semua sama-sama sampaikan (semua jemaah, semua golongan) sentiasa canang & uar-uarkan benar-benar tercapai matlamatnya & targetnya."

10 FOR 20 AT 40 [TEN PIECES OF ADVICE I’D GIVE TO MY TWENTY-YEAR OLD SELF NOW THAT I’M FORTY] - by Sh. Yasir Qadhi

[Copy-pasted from MuslimMatters.org]

Forty is a special age. It's the quintessential age of mid-life. It's older than 'young', but younger than 'old'. It's an age where one has typically finished jumping all the hoops that society and education and starting a family require, and where one now looks forward to thinking about the major accomplishments of life, and the legacy that one wishes to leave.

The Qur'an mentions forty as the age of reaching full maturity: “Until, when (man) reaches his maturity (ashudd), and reaches forty years of age, he says, 'O My Lord! Allow me to thank the blessings that you have bestowed on me, and on my parents, and that I perform good deeds that are pleasing to you, and make my children righteous as well. Truly, I repent unto You, and are of those who submit totally to you” [Ahqāf; 15].

No wonder, then, that our Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) actually began receiving inspiration and preaching his message at the age of forty. For forty years, he was merely being prepared for the real purpose of his mission: the call to Allah.

This is the year that I reach that important milestone of life. I do not know what the future holds for me, although of course I have my visions and plans. But it seems fitting for me to pause and reflect upon the last four decades of my life, and ponder over its ups and downs.

I remember vividly many of my thoughts and emotions when I was twenty. It was exactly twenty years ago that I graduated from the University of Houston, and left for the Islamic University of Madinah, beginning a new phase of my life. I began thinking, “If I could, somehow, give my younger self some advice; if I could address the young man of twenty, now that I am forty, and hope that he would listen to my advice, what would I tell him?”

These are the top ten things that came to mind. I hope those of you who are still in their twenties (and perhaps some of you who are older!) will benefit from it.

1) Don't be so certain about your opinions and views.

Arrogance and cockiness define teenage years, and a young man (or woman) at twenty really is just a teenager, plus one. Views about how to live, about interpretations of religion, about how you would do things differently than everyone else in the world – those views typically stem from a naïve and inexperienced view of the world. You will realize that over-enthusiasm and strongly held opinions are the quintessential signs of being young. Don't judge others who disagree with your views too harshly: you just might find yourself holding those same views a few years or decades down the line!

2) The most important source of practical knowledge is life itself.

Continuing from the last point, realize that the single greatest source of wisdom is learnt by living life itself. No matter how many lectures you attend, or books you read, or how deeply you contemplate or think, nothing substitutes the wisdom gained from simply experiencing the world around you. In order to be a good spouse, you need to learn to navigate the ups and down of a marriage. In order to be a good parent, you need to have your own children and learn to take care of them throughout their stages of childhood. In order to be a good human, you need to experience the good and bad of humanity.

'Facts' from books are great, but they must be shaped and seasoned and tested on the playground of life. Appreciate that you might not be in the best shape to judge everything, especially since you might not have experienced those things before. Through experience, and trial and error, one's methods for dealing with all types of problems are refined.

A corollary of this piece of advice (and if I had more than ten in this list, this would be number eleven) is: Respect and benefit from those older than you. Perhaps you know more than an elder about a certain matter (or, to phrase it more precisely: perhaps you think you know more than them about a certain matter), but no matter how knowledgeable you are about quantum mechanics, or investigating sahih hadiths, or understanding the latest psychological theories from your textbooks, you simply cannot match the wisdom of your grandmother when it comes to navigating the intricacies of human interactions and raw emotions.

Turn Your Problem Into A Blessing!

"If a calamity or affliction ends up causing you to increase your duas, and have a better and more personal relationship with Allah...

Then anything that causes you to have a better relationship with Allah is not a calamity or misfortune, but the best blessing-in-disguise possible.

It's not that we want calamities (for we are supposed to ask Allah for a calamity-free life!) but when a problem does occur, turning to Allah can turn that problem into a blessing".

-Sh. Dr. Yasir Qadhi

Komik Dialog: Hidup Untuk Apa?

Just because I am right doesn't mean I have to hurt the feeling of others

Tegur kesalahan orang biarlah secara berhikmah.

Sabda Nabi SAW:

يَا عَائِشَةُ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ، وَيُعْطِي عَلَى الرِّفْقِ مَا لَا يُعْطِي عَلَى الْعُنْفِ، وَمَا لَا يُعْطِي عَلَى مَا سِوَاهُ

[حديث نبوي رواه مسلم]

"O Aisha, Allah is Kind and He loves kindness, and confers upon kindness which He does not confer upon severity, and does not confer upon anything besides it (kindness)." - [Narrated by Muslim]

"Wahai Aisyah, sesunguhnya Allah itu Maha Lembut dan mencintai kelembutan. Allah memberi kepada kelembutan hal-hal yang tidak diberikan kepada kekerasan dan kepada hal-hal lainnya." - [Hadith Nabi SAW riwayat Imam Muslim]





Di dalam Surah Ali-Imran:

فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ

"Dengan sebab rahmat Allah lah kamu berlaku lemah-lembut terhadap mereka. Sekiranya kamu bersikap keras lagi berhati kasar, tentu mereka menjauh dari sekelilingmu" - [Ali-Imran : 159]





Copypaste dari status Facebook Sh. Dr. Yasir Qadhi (2015):

"It never ceases to amaze me how some disagreement between Muslims can make one so rude and foul mouthed.

Do you think you will get your point across by using vulgar words, mocking your opponent, talking sarcastically, and displaying the crudest of manners? Is this what 'being on the truth' teaches you? In that case, I do not want such a 'truth' that teaches you such arrogance, because I know that arrogance is of the most despised traits to Allah.

If you truly believe you are right, prove it by taking the higher moral ground, and being the more humble and kind hearted and soft spoken of the two. Learn from my Prophet (SAW) and yours.

May Allah guide us to the best of manners, for none can guide to the best of manners other than Allah! Ameen."





Sabda Nabi SAW: "Sesungguhnya yang terbaik di antara kalian adalah yang paling baik akhlaknya." - [HR Bukhari dan Muslim]

Sabda Nabi SAW: "Sesungguhnya orang yang paling aku cintai dan paling dekat tempat duduknya denganku pada hari kiamat adalah orang yang paling baik akhlaknya." - [HR Tirmidzi]

- Reminders to self

Famous di Zaman Muda

Wise words from Sh. Salman al-Oudah:

The Harms of Fame

Ibn `Atā’ al-Sakandrī said: "If you are given fame early in life, you rarely succeed later in life."

The road to fame is traversed today with "likes" on Facebook and Twitter and with votes on reality television. It is a path which exposes young people to morally questionable relationships.

A lot of celebrities are deluded about their importance. They forget how they were in the past and how they might yet again become in the future.

Someone asked Ibn al-Mubārak what it means to be conceited. He answered: "It means to think that you have something going for you that others lack." [Sheikh Salman Al-Oudah]

May Allah grant us all humility and humbleness, and protect us from arrogance and seeking fame. Ameen!

[via Sh. Yasir Qadhi]

Jom Kenali Imam Al-Bukhari!

Presented by Sh. Yasir Qadhi

Presented by Ustadh Omar Suleiman (the lecture starts at 16:03)

Para Sahabat Nabi SAW Dahulu Juga Adalah Manusia Biasa

Once, Abu Bakr appeared in the masjid, walking swiftly, having raised his lower garment so that his shin was visible. Upon seeing him, the Prophet SAW said, 'It appears your companion [meaning Abu Bakr] has been in an argument!'

When he came to the gathering, he greeted the Prophet SAW and said, 'O Messenger of Allah! There was an issue between Umar b. al-Khattab and me, and I got angry [and said some things], but then regretted it. So I asked him to forgive me, but he refused! That is why I came to you.'

The Prophet (SAW) said, 'Allah will forgive you, O Abu Bakr' and repeated it three times.

In the meantime, Umar regretted what had transpired, and went to the house of Abu Bakr, hoping to find him there, but he was not there. So Umar made his way to the masjid, and saw him there. When Umar greeting the Prophet (SAW), the anger from the Prophet's (SAW) face was obvious. After a while, Abu Bakr himself felt pity for Umar, so he half-stood up on his knees and said, 'O Messenger of Allah! By Allah I did more wrong than he did [to me].'

The Prophet (SAW) replied, "Allah sent me to you: while all of you said, 'He lies!', Abu Bakr said, 'He has spoken the truth!' And it is Abu Bakr who has shared with me himself and his wealth [like no other], so will you not leave my Companion (sahibi) alone?!"

So no one ever interfered with Abu Bakr after that. [Reported by al-Bukhari].

Perlukah Muslim Membenci Yahudi?

YAHUDI ATAU ZIONIS?

Pertama sekali, masih ramai Muslim keliru antara istilah "Yahudi" dan "Zionis."

Bila lihat kekejaman berlaku di Palestin, ramai merampang, "Tak guna punya Yahudi!" "Semoga Yahudi semua dilaknat!" dsb.

Tapi ketahuilah saudara-saudari bahawa penganut agama Yahudi sendiri memusuhi negara dan kerajaan Israel.

Pembentukan negara Israel itu adalah agenda Zionis dan bukannya agama Yahudi.

Jadi persisnya, kedudukan agama Yahudi dalam konflik Israel-Palestin adalah:

Zionis

VS

Muslim & Yahudi seluruh dunia

Mereka berada di pihak kita Muslim.

Ramai menganggap Zionis itu subset fahaman agama Yahudi; tapi sebenarnya tanggapan itu tidak tepat.

Two completely separate entity.

Cuma jika dari segi "bangsa," tentulah sebahagian besar Zionis itu subset bangsa Yahudi.

Pun begitu, ia tidak membantu menjustifikasi kebencian kalian terhadap Yahudi.

Pernahkah Islam mengajar kita memusuhi sesuatu kaum hanya kerana keturunan atau agamanya?

Jelas sekali, tidak.

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YAHUDI DI ZAMAN RASULULLAH SAW

Sebagaimana kita ketahui, ketika Rasulullah SAW baru berhijrah ke Madinah, baginda sangat bersikap optimistik terhadap kaum Yahudi.

Baginda banyak mengarahkan kaum Muslimin agar mengikuti, menyerupai, dan meniru amalan kaum Yahudi dengan harapan dapat melembutkan hati Yahudi memeluk Islam.

Tapi malang, persangkaan baik itu dikhianati, dan mereka melanggar Piagam Madinah: mencabul wanita Muslim, membunuh lelaki Muslim, bersekutu dengan kafir Quraysh Makkah dalam perang melawan Muslim; membuat percubaan membunuh Nabi, dsb.

Selepas itulah bermula deretan hukuman Rasulullah SAW ke atas Bani Qainuqa', Bani Nadhir, dan Bani Quraizah.

Dan selepas itulah baginda mula mengarahkan kaum Muslimin agar tidak lagi mengikuti, menyerupai, atau meniru amalan kaum Yahudi.

Jadi sebagaimana dapat dilihat, jelasnya, Rasulullah SAW bersikap keras terhadap Yahudi Madinah itu atas kesalahan mereka melanggar piagam, dan bukan kerana keturunan atau agama mereka.

Kalaulah Rasulullah SAW bersikap rasis, tentulah kaum Yahudi Yaman pun tidak berminat menghantar rombongan bagi mempelajari seterusnya memeluk Islam pada Tahun Delegasi 9 Hijrah.

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YAHUDI SELEPAS ZAMAN RASULULLAH SAW

Lihat bagaimana Pendeta Yahudi ini memuji layanan

Muslim dan negara Islam terhadap Yahudi

Sejarah membuktikan kedatangan Yahudi ke negara Islam sentiasa disambut baik oleh Muslim sebagai Zimmi.

FAKTA: Jadi lihatlah di negara-negara Islam sekarang - how the Jews flourished in the Arab lands: di Tunisia, Morocco, Iran, Mesir, Yaman, dll. Yahudi diberi hak sepenuhnya oleh Muslim untuk mengamalkan ritual agama mereka tanpa sebarang gangguan. Hubungan mereka begitu rapat sehingga Yahudi diberi kepercayaan mengasuh anak Muslim, dan Muslim diberi kepercayaan mengasuh anak Yahudi.

After all, the Jews are "ahli kitab," remember?

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AHLI KITAB?

Ramai Muslim Malaysia mendakwa penganut agama Yahudi dan Kristian hari ini tidak lagi layak digelar ahli kitab.

Hujah mereka: Kandungan New Testament dan Old Testament hari ini sudah tidak sama dengan kandungan Injil dan Taurat yang telah diturunkan kepada Nabi Isa dan Musa AS.

Tapi lupakah mereka Injil dan Taurat sememangnya sudah korup sejak sebelum zaman Rasulullah SAW lagi? Yet the Jews and Christians at his time were still regarded as ahli kitab, even in the Qur'an!

Jadi jelas, pengkriteriaan definisi ahli kitab mereka salah.

Jika Yahudi dan Nasrani di zaman Rasulullah SAW dipanggil ahli kitab, tentulah Yahudi dan Nasrani hari ini tetap dipanggil ahli kitab.

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KEADILAN DALAM ISLAM

Islam adalah agama yang adil.

Islam tidak pernah mengajar kita memusuhi sesuatu kaum hanya kerana keturunan atau agama mereka.

"Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, hendaklah kamu semua sentiasa menjadi orang-orang yang menegakkan keadilan kerana Allah, lagi menerangkan kebenaran dan jangan sekali-kali kebencian kamu terhadap sesuatu kaum itu mendorong kamu kepada tidak melakukan keadilan. Hendaklah kamu berlaku adil (kepada sesiapa jua) kerana sikap adil itu lebih hampir kepada taqwa dan bertaqwalah kepada Allah, sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui dengan mendalam akan apa yang kamu lakukan." [Al-Qur'an, 5:8]

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ALLERGIC?

Adakah anda alergik terhadap Yahudi?

Punca alahan? Mungkin kerana belum pernah jumpa Yahudi yang baik dalam hidup.

Jika begitu, jemput tonton video ini:

Mikhael Elijah: Caucasian by race, Jew by religion

Also, check out Anna Baltzer, a Jewish lady who tirelessly work for the cause of Palestinian rights against Israelis.

Anna Baltzer: Jew by race, Jew by religion

Check out her [Facebook] as well.

[Bacaan tambahan: Kenapa US & UK Menyokong Zionism, dan Kenapa Negara Arab Senyap]

Worried That Allah Is Not Happy With You?

Jadi marilah bersedekah.

The Story of Adam in the Qur'an VS Theory of Evolution

(Current) Sains kata manusia adalah sebahagian dari produk evolusi alam. Sementara Qur'an pula beritahu, manusia berasal dari keturunan Nabi Adam a.s. yang diciptakan secara langsung oleh Allah 'Azza wa jal.

Question

There's ample evidence from science that shows things evolve, you have mutation, natural selection. People see a direct contradiction with god, Islam and evolution. How does a Muslim address this?

Answer (by Hamza Tzortzis)

It's very simple, Islam generally says go where the science takes you, to a point where it doesn't negate established theological facts.

As a Muslim when we look at evolution and we say it's amazing and interesting, we keep in mind that this is a theory that seems to work, it has a lot of empirical and theoretical justification. So as a Muslim scientist I would continue to do the science and agree with some of its conclusions.

- However, what we would say is if there is something that goes against the Islamic narrative, we would do an epistemic weighing, which means what is more valuable in terms of knowledge.

We know science is amazing and great but it changes all the time, e.g it changes because of two keys: thinking processes induction and empiricism.

- Induction is a thinking process where you have limited set of observations. And for the next observation, you make a conclusion based on the previous observations.

The issue is you might have a different observation that negates the previous observation e.g I'm a scientist in wales, I count the color of sheep and I count a 1000 sheep and they are all white so I conclude that they are all white, or the next sheep will be white. But there are black sheep so the next observation can be a black sheep and this will disagree with your previous conclusion. Science works heavily on induction which is never 100%

- Also science uses the worldview called empiricism, which basically says I can't have knowledge on anything unless it's directly or indirectly observable. But that means there might be something which you haven't seen, so there could be a future possible observation, that you haven't observed which can go against your current data. That's why every sincere scientist will say science is never 100%.

- So when we look at evolution, we need to realize that that's the best that we have now. But if in the best that we have, a part of evolution goes against the Islamic narrative (a part of it, not all of it as we agree with natural selection, mutations etc. but if there's something that goes against the Islamic narrative), we do an epistemic value weighing.

What is the value of knowledge? We saw in science, there's limitations, induction and empiricism. You will never get 100% truth. But with the Qur'an, it outweighs the conclusions made by science, why? Because we believe it's from the Creator. And we believe it's from the Creator for many many good rational and logical reasons. And therefore who will be more likely to be truthful? Us, humans as scientist, who are looking to the world to find the best conclusion using induction and empiricism which is limited? Or the Creator who created us and has all knowledge and He has the picture and we only have the pixel?

- We can also add that there was a time when most scientists believed that the universe was eternal. In the 1940's they believed in the steady state theory, the universe had no beginning or end, which contradicted the Qur'an, which says the universe began to exist.

So if you were a Muslim living in the 1940's, would you go with the Qur'an or with what scientists were saying? And there was a consensus amongst the scientists that the universe was always there. And it turned out science was wrong. And science changed.

The useful thing here is not to see this as a negative. It’s a good thing because science is the progressive development of knowledge based upon the empirical world and that’s a good thing. It becomes bad when you have the likes of Richard Dawkins etc. who say this is the 100% truth; and don’t entertain the fact that they might be wrong.

MERAMAL NASIB MELALUI TARIKH LAHIR???

Soalan:

Prof Madya Dato' Dr. Asri, sekarang ada banyak ceramah atau kursus untuk menyingkap rahsia tarikh lahir. Ada rakan-rakan saya menyertainya dan mula mempercayai nasib masa depan mereka menerusi tarikh lahir. Kononnya, tarikh lahir menentukan kemampuan dirinya, masa depannya dan lain-lain. Apa yang dipilih pun mesti berdasarkan tarikh lahir. Adakah ini diizinkan oleh Islam?

Jawapan Dr. MAZA:

Saudara, dalam masyarakat yang menghadapi berbagai tekanan hidup, kesibukannya, persaingan antara satu sama lain, maka ramai yang akan cuba mencari ‘keajaiban’ untuk merentasi semua itu. Jika tidak dengan Iman yang benar, maka sihir, merenung nasib dan berbagai khurafat yang lain akan timbul dan mengambil tempat. Akan ada sahaja pihak yang mengambil kesempatan daripada keadaan yang seperti ini.

Untuk soalan tersebut beberapa perkara berikut saya ingin tegaskan;

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1. Islam adalah agama yang menentang semua unsur khurafat, tahyul dan apa sahaja kebatilan yang tidak berasaskan fakta dan dalil yang benar.

Meramal masa depan tanpa asas-asas yang boleh dipercayai atau saintifik adalah merosakkan akal dan menimbulkan berbagai salah sangka dalam kehidupan manusia. Ia boleh memutuskan harapan, atau membuat jangkaan yang salah. Sedangkan kita dilarang untuk berputus asa dari rahmat Allah. Segala unsur yang membodohkan manusia, ditentang keras oleh ajaran Islam ini.

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2. Kepercayaan bahawa tarikh tertentu membentuk watak tertentu tidak berasaskan apa-apa bukti ilmiah sama sekali.

Demikian juga, kepercayaan rupa paras tertentu membawa perangai baik dan buruk yang tertentu tidak berasaskan bukti melainkan pra-sangka terhadap ciptaan Allah semata.

Jika ada yang mendakwa bahawa tarikh lahir tertentu seperti angka 1 mempengaruhi nasib tertentu dengan disertakan bukti beberapa tokoh atau individu, itu bukanlah bukti yang ilmiah. Entah berapa puluh juta manusia memiliki angka 1 dalam tarikh lahirnya, adakah semua mereka demikian? Sudah pasti bagi setiap angka ada berbagai watak manusia. Jika mahu, kita boleh dapati berapa ramai yang memiliki angka selain 1 mempunyai ciri-ciri yang sama dengan 1 seperti yang para ‘penilik dan peramal’ nasib itu nyatakan. Dari mana mereka perolehi ciri-ciri tersebut? Ia sebenarnya, sebahagian warisan ahli-ahli nujum kuno yang ditentang oleh Islam, atau mungkin rekaan baru mereka untuk melariskan ‘bisnes motivasi’.

UJIAN-UJIAN ITU

Orang yang berharta diuji dengan kelalaian.
Orang yang miskin diuji dengan kesempitan.

Orang yang berkuasa diuji dengan amanah.
Orang yang lemah diuji dengan penindasan.

Orang yang penyayang diuji dengan kehilangan yang tersayang.
Orang yang pembenci diuji dengan kehidupan sepi.

Orang yang ada rupa diuji dengan pelbagai fitnah.
Orang yang hodoh diuji dengan perasaan iri.

Orang yang kuat nafsu diuji dengan halangan memuaskan nafsu.
Orang yang tiada nafsu (asexual) diuji dengan tuduhan pembohong.

And the list can go on and on.

Masing-masing ada kelebihan masing-masing yang Allah berikan; supaya dapat kita manfaatkan untuk mengumpul bekalan akhirat.

Dan masing-masing ada kekurangan masing-masing, yang sengaja Allah berikan; sebagai 'aset penginsaf' untuk kita kembali kepada-Nya.

Dan masing-masing pun ada ujian masing-masing, baik kecil besar kejap lama ringan berat significant insignificant.

Jadi usahlah sekali-kali kita berharap kita dapat menjadi seseorang yang lain, hanya kerana tidak tahan dengan ujian yang sedang dihadapi.

Dan usahlah juga kita perlekeh ujian orang lain, kerana belum tentu kita punya kekuatan yang diperlukan bagi menghadapi ujian seumpama mereka.