Project 365

A different angle of Ka’bah. I’m grateful to have the second chance this month to perform Umrah again 🙂

Alhamdulillah, I went to perform Umrah today. The mosque was too beautiful. The clock had ticked. It was magnificent. But, to be honest, I like Mekkah the way it used to be. All the old buildings. Traditional and modest.

All I could see now was extravagance and luxury. It’s too much. Too commercial. And that’s not what Islam is about. That’s not what Mekkah is about.

If anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind

Barangsiapa yang membunuh seorang manusia, bukan karena orang itu (membunuh) orang lain, atau bukan karena membuat kerusakan dimuka bumi, maka seakan-akan dia telah membunuh manusia seluruhnya. Dan barangsiapa yang memelihara kehidupan seorang manusia, maka seolah-olah dia telah memelihara kehidupan manusia semuanya.

Al-Qur’an 5:32

I wonder why nothing is mentioned about this verse in any of those articles, books, movies, and news which argue that our beloved Qur’an is the source of a violence.

And I wonder if any of those terrorists ever read this part of the verse.

They are all ignorant uneducated selfish people!

She was the wife who believed in me when others rejected me. When people gave me the lie, she affirmed my truthfulness. When I stood forsaken, she spent her wealth to lighten the burden of my sorrow.

— Prophet Muhammad SAW

Among the Muslims the most perfect, as regards his faith, is the one whose character is excellent, and the best among you are those who treat their wives well.

— Prophet Muhammad SAW [Tirmidhi]

I just love to read and hear everything about Aisha RA, the third wife of our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW. She made a great contribution to Islam and became a role model for Muslim women all over the world, including her participation in the politics. Her loving and compassionate relationship with her husband and their fondness to each other is also something I really love to read; how she used to treat him and how he used to treat her.

(As I’m too lazy to write right now, I’d put some interesting aspects about her and Prophet SAW in bullet points)

• When the Prophet SAW was asked who the most beloved person to him was, he answered, “Aisha”. And when he was asked who the most beloved man to him was, he answered, “her father”. [Sahih Bukhari Vol. 5, Book 57, No. 14]
• She’s the complete example of what Muslim women should be like. She’s very charitable and generous, as well as soft-hearted.
• She contributed greatly on preserving the Prophet’s sayings and actions to be set as an example followed by Muslims. There are 2210 hadiths narrated by her.
• She possessed a great knowledge about Islam, as said by Abu Musa: “If we, companions of the Messenger of God, had any difficulty on a matter, we asked Aisha about it.”
• The Prophet SAW once said, “Whoever wants to see a woman from the women of paradise, then let that person look at Um Ruman RA.” Um Ruman is Aisyah’s mother. Her parents definitely made a good example for Aisha.
• The Prophet SAW asked his daughter, Fatima, “Do you love what I love?” and she responded with a yes. Then he said, “Then you must love this woman [Aisha].”
• The Prophet SAW one day said, “O, Aisha, I know when you are angry or pleased.” She then asked, “How do you know that?” The Prophet answered, “When you’re pleased, you say, ‘Yes, by the Lord of Muhammad SAW’ but when you’re angry, you say, ‘No, by the Lord of Ibrahim AS.’” [Sahih Bukhari Vol. 8, Book 73, No. 101] I just love this! This was how she displayed her anger towards her husband! No screaming, calling each other’s names, arguing, and other things you could possibly think of. What an amazing woman she was.
• The Prophet said, "The superiority of Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid to other kinds of food." [Sahih Bukhari Vol. 7, Book 65, No. 330]
• Whenever the Prophet would leave for the mosque, he’d kiss his wife.
• The Prophet SAW and Aisha RA used to share utensils together. She’d take a drink from a cup, then she’d give it to him, and he’d drink from the same place she drank. She’d also eat some of the meat and she’d give the plate to him. Isn’t it wonderful? He would let his wife ate first before him. In today’s world, we call this “ladies first”.
• The Prophet SAW used to recite the Qur’an to Aisha during her menstruation period
• She used to participate in the battles of the Prophet SAW, collecting arrows or bring water to the fighters.
• On jealousy, she said: “I never felt so jealous of any woman as I did of Khadija, though she had died three years before the Prophet married me, and that was because I heard him mentioning her too often, and because his Lord had ordered him to give her the glad tidings that she would have a palace in Paradise, made of Qasab and because he used to slaughter a sheep and distribute its meat among her friends.” [Sahih Bukhari Vol. 8, Book 73, No. 33]
• During the Prophet Muhammad SAW’s last illness, he’d go to Aisha’s apartment and he passed away with his head in her lap.

Sources:

• Aisha bint Abu Bakr by Suhaib Webb [YouTube]
• Great Women in Islam: Aisha bint Abu Bakr
• Jannah.org: Aisha bint Abu Bakr
• Islam’s Women: Aisha bint Abu Bakr

Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu anni

O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me.

A very funny and entertaining video discussing about issues concerning Ramadhan (e.g. moon sighting wars, super speed taraweeh, 8 vs 20 rakaats, etc). This video serves as a reminder for all of us, the Muslims around the world 🙂

Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.

— Al-Qur’an 2:185

Ramadhan kareem! Kullu 3am wa antum be7air 🙂

O Believers, if an unrighteous person comes to you with information, you should verify it or else you might inflict harm on a people in ignorance and then end up regretting what you have done.

Hai orang-orang yang beriman, jika datang kepadamu orang fasik membawa suatu berita, maka periksalah dengan teliti agar kamu tidak menimpakan suatu musibah kepada suatu kaum tanpa mengetahui keadaannya yang menyebabkan kamu menyesal atas perbuatanmu itu.

— Al-Qur’an 49:6

In this verse, Allah SWT ordered us to question and verify every information received to make sure it is reliable and authentic. This is a very interesting verse as it relates to our daily life and the thing that has been going on in Indonesia right now 🙂

Yes, the infotainment. The gossips of celebrities. And all those. Why are we — the Indonesians — are so obsessed with these useless information?! What’s so fun about it, really? A lecturer in Bandung told me that when he woke up everyday, he saw infotainment news. When he came back from work, he saw infotainment news. After dinner, another infotainment news. Oh for heaven sake, he thought! Weren’t there any useful news or TV shows that could be shown?? It’s really sad. We believe on those information and judge the people based on what we see on TV. Pathetic. Now, all we care about is the private life of other people who will never make a positive impact in our life in many ways! How about those people who are in hunger? How about those who still have no money to go to school? How about those who are mentally ill, being stranded in the streets? Do we care about them?! AT ALL??

Questioning the reliability of information does not only apply to the infotainment crap (coz I don’t want to call these gossip things as “news”). But it also applies to everything published on the media. We always need to be critical about them. We need to remember that some news are “created” to gain publicity, profits, or to make false information about other people in order to put them down.

This verse is also very much related to how the scholars of Hadith accept narrations. I was even told that Imam Bukhari traveled miles and miles away to meet this one narrator to prove his authenticity and reliability. At one point, the narrator called some birds as if he wanted to feed them. But it turned out he was just lying because he had no foods on his hands. Based on this behavior, his Hadith was rejected by Imam Bukhari. Can you imagine that?! This implies that the collections of our Hadith have been carefully compiled. Those narrators whose reliability is unknown are not accepted by the scholars of Hadith.

Well, the simplest thing I can say is: mind your own business 😀

* Today’s posting is based on the discussion in our weekly pengajian (Qur’an reading & study) 🙂

Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of stars and as protection against every rebellious devil. [So] they may not listen to the exalted assembly [of angels] and are pelted from every side. Repelled; and for them is a constant punishment. Except one who snatches [some words] by theft, but they are pursued by a burning flame, piercing [in brightness].

Sesungguhnya Kami telah menghias langit yang terdekat dengan hiasan, yaitu bintang-bintang, dan telah memeliharanya (sebenar-benarnya) dari setiap syaitan yang sangat durhaka. Syaitan-syaitan itu tidak dapat mendengar-dengarkan (pembicaraan) para malaikat dan mereka dilempari dari segala penjuru. Untuk mengusir mereka dan bagi mereka siksaan yang kekal. Akan tetapi barangsiapa (di antara mereka) yang mencuri-curi (pembicaraan); maka ia dikejar oleh suluh api yang cemerlang.

The stars were created not only to make the sky beautiful, but also to protect the evil spirits (syaitan) from listening to the conversation of the angels.