UNDERSTANDING ISLAM

AND ITS STRUGGLE

Islam cannot advance except through the struggle of ‘jihad’. Still, it is not easy to fight for the truth. Before we can progress on this mission, we must first have the right knowledge and understanding of what we are struggling for. Indeed, the pursuit and defence of truth is a difficult cause, as truth itself is extremely valuable. Only a few members of the Islamic community are capable of dedicating themselves to the spreading of Islamic truth because only they have the proper knowledge and understanding of the complicated twists-and-turns that they have to face alone in this mission.

We have strayed too far from the path of Rasulullah SAW and his Companions. No one can accurately explain the meaning of ‘jihad’ anymore. There are so many interpretations of the term. This inevitably leads to different opinions of how it should be carried out, with different parties contradicting each other and believing that only they are in the right, thus discarding anything that anyone else has to say about the matter.

Hence, instead of Islam moving forward, it is falling apart even more as a result of the conflict between different parties that are supposedly fighting for Islam. It is no surprise that today Islam is regarded as so lowly in the eyes of the world. This is why God’s aid has not arrived. God will not help people whose strategies no longer follow His laws and have deviated too far from the teachings of Rasulullah SAW and his Companions.

The truth of Islam comes from God. Hence, only God has the right to bring glory to His religion. In the past, it is through His prophets that God raised the status of the truth above all else. It is God who taught the Prophets how to spread this truth to their people. In this post-prophet era, God still brings glory to His religion but this time through leaders with prophet-like characteristics. This refers to the Mujaddid, leaders sent by God every 100 years and born at the beginning of each century. God inspires the Mujaddid with the ‘tajdid’ (revolutionary) way until Islam regains its former glory. If not for them, Islam would be little more than embers: glowing faintly in the darkness, and not providing the warmth and brightness that it should.
The Mujaddid, or prophet-like leaders, are those who most accurately understand what ‘jihad’ is and how it is to be carried out. It is in their hands that victory awaits.

First and foremost, the struggle for truth is the struggle for God; He is to be known, admired, glorified, feared, loved and brought into every possible aspect of a person’s life. It is only when mankind finds God this way that His shari’at and all else becomes truly useful. If God is not at the forefront of the struggle, then His shari’at is nothing more than ideology. Religion must be connected to God.

If God is not feared and loved, His shari’at is easily forgotten. When God is not prioritised, glorified and admired, His shari’at will not seem important anymore. People tend to be selective when practising God’s shari’at, picking and choosing only what they feel will benefit them. If the shari’at becomes troublesome, it is too easily pushed aside.

In conclusion, other aspects such as justice, unity, laws against disobedience and cruelty, are all easily practised and carried out if God is at the forefront of it all. All of God’s shari’at, whether they are commands or prohibitions, become beautiful and easy to practice. Even the small things become valuable and enjoyable to practice, what more the more important things.

God created two roles for mankind: as servants and as caliphs. As servants, God has commanded for everyone to get to know Him in all His glory, greatness and supremacy over all things. The result would be one whose heart has been completely filled with tauhid, a love and fear of God so great that it could never run out. The greatness of God is felt deep within, for God is the Most Kind, the Most Loving, the Most Powerful and so on so forth.
To know God deeply is to feel fear, worry, love and hope, and to know that it is on God alone that we can depend on. To have God is to have everything, just as to lose God is to lose everything.

Then a deep humbleness would enter the heart, leading to an awareness of how weak, dhaif, inadequate, disobedient and forgetful we human beings are. Not only that, but we should also feel limited, ineffective, unintelligent and ignorant. We must be confident that everything that happens has its God-given meaning and hikmah behind it. We have to accept that every single thing has a positive purpose from Allah the Most Sublime and Most Great.
The consequence of being aware of God and being humble before Him is a servant of God who is full of taqwa. When one fears God, one would automatically loathe and turn away from all evil deeds, and instead decide to clean oneself from all poisonous mazmumah traits.
Love for Allah is the greatest motivation for His servants to become good, dedicated, loyal and useful individuals. Love of Allah inspires the best mahmudah traits in all those who feel it. When a servant of Allah manages to achieve this, he shall be saved and in turn will lead to the saving of others.

The second role of mankind is as the caliph. As the caliph, God has commanded mankind to rule, govern, organise, develop and handle all aspects of the public’s every day life. The public has many needs including education, economy, culture, politics, social, health, nutrition, government, technological communication and so on so forth.

All of the public’s needs have to be arranged and taken care of in the best possible way. Because this earth ultimately belongs to God, the task of the caliph is a responsibility bestowed by Him. Hence, God has commanded this task to be in sync with servitude towards Him. All the activities of the caliph have to safe and active in the saving others, thus leading to the prosperity and benefit of mankind.

How can the people given the responsibility of the caliph be confident of their ability to fulfil this mission? It is evident to all that the world is full of people with a dog-eat-dog attitude that encourages dishonesty and selfishness. It is for so-called ‘progress’ that people have fought, cheated, coerced, killed and even gone to war over. Progress and development have lost their meaning; instead of encouraging the happiness and harmony of mankind, it causes their destruction.

In order to find the cause of all this damage, we need not look any further than the leaders in charge: these are people who have taken the responsibilities of caliph upon themselves, but have ignored their role as servants of God. In other words, the leaders and administrators are people who don’t know God, do not feel His presence and do not dedicate themselves to His service. These are people without taqwa, people who are full of mazmumah traits, and are treacherous, immoral and full of sin. It is only when a leader has fulfilled his responsibility as a servant of God that he will be able to fulfil his responsibility as caliph.

This shows how important taqwa is to mankind. Those who are full of taqwa will find themselves enriched with mahmudah attributes, which have to firm and unyielding.
It has to be remembered that the work of the caliph is risky and challenging. Only one with a strong spirit would be able to carry such a burden. Such a spirit can only be cultivated within someone who is truly a servant of God and has a soul full of tauhid. Only these people have the ability to be patient, grateful, trustworthy, honest, loving, kind, hard-working and responsible throughout all aspects of their life.

These people depend on Allah and Allah alone for all their needs. They are aware and immensely grateful to Allah for all the uncountable blessings that He has bestowed upon them. Furthermore, they fear that they are not grateful enough, and their thanks are inadequate.
Such loyalty does not make these people proud of themselves, because they are aware that it is Allah alone who will decide if their loyalty is enough, and whether they will continue to be devoted until the day they die. They forget the good things they’ve done in devotion to Allah in the past.

Additionally, troubled times do not make them worry and fret. They face such difficulties calmly and patiently, backed up with the confidence that everything has many hidden hikmah behind it. In their hearts they only think about their own weaknesses, and hope only for God’s aid.
They accept any disasters that come their way with an open heart, for they know that there is nothing that lives and breathes on this earth that does not come from Allah and with His grace. They are confident that Allah in His supreme power holds all the universe in His grasp.

These are the effects of one who has a true awareness of God and is humble before Him. It proves that all the shortcomings in life happen because they have failed to unite this feeling of servitude to God with the responsibility of the caliph. Corrupt people with hearts full of mazmumah traits are the cause of all these shortcomings.

In conclusion, it would be wonderful if everyone could embrace the mahmudah, for then we would have leaders who are responsible and bring only benefit to their communities. The rich would be kind and generous to those in need. The ulama would be passionate in educating others. The working class and less fortunate would be patient and eager to carry out their tasks without a thought of complaint. Husbands would carry out all their full responsibilities towards their wives, and the wives would be loyal to their husbands. Children would be open to learning, and respect their parents and all their elders. Women would be honourable. Teenagers would be productive members of their religion, race and country.

A nation built on Godliness would strive to be fair in all aspects, from their own individual lives, to their families, to the community around them and so on. Love and unity would come easily to everyone, because everyone has the love of God in common. When they fear God, everyone would be so busy scrutinising their own faults and weaknesses that it would never occur to them to think about the weaknesses of others.

The act of spreading the truth has to be carried out gently and with love. This would help open the hearts of the listeners, so it would be easier for them to learn and be brought closer to God.
This is the strategy of all of God’s representatives throughout the ages. This knowledge was passed on to all of His prophets and to the later mujaddid. It is because of their dedication towards God that God has promised them His protection and victory.

THE AL-QURAN

HAS BEEN TRANSLATED FREELY

The Al-Quran has been translated freely.

When translated freely, it is also interpreted freely.

Done only the way that the interpreter wants it to be.

Sometimes this reader and interpreter has a hidden agenda.

An ulterior motive aimed towards certain people.

Maybe a political rival or an opponent to his struggle.

'Til finally the Quranic verses deviate from the purpose of its revelation.

Instead they are used as bullets for specific targets.

And yet the Al-Quran is meant for all mankind, including those that read it.

Somtimes it is about our own selves. The Al-Quran is meant for everyone, not any single party.

Even if there is a verse in the Quran targeted to specific people, it is still meant for the reader.

It is not exclusive, there are no exceptions.

Maybe the characters or criterias in the verses are meant for the reader too.

The Al-Quran is a cure; the cure for all human hearts. The heart's cure, no matter who reads it.

This is why anyone who reads the Al-Quran has to practise it personally.

This is the best way for anyone to read the Al-Quran.

Then for others who need a cure or have the same needs.

So if Quranic verses are read following its original intentions.

Then the words will be interpreted correctly and justly.

Otherwise, the Quranic interpretations will deviate from God's intention, the Owner of Al-Quran. We have misused the Al-Quran.

The Prophet said to following, translated:

"Those who interpret the Al-Quran with his mind alone,

then there is aplace in Hell reserved for him."

Do take care when interpreting the Al-Quran.

Al-Quran is meant for all human beings.

Not for any specific groups. If there is a character or story in the verse similar to a particular group we knew, it does has a general meaning as well.

Probably to ourselves who's reading it, then we are included.

12.10.2004 – 1Prior to Zuhur

NEVER ENDING BATTLE

There's always a battle between the soul and the nafs.

A battle with no end in sight.

A fierce and terrifying battleIn the history of internal battles, nafs is always the winner.

Nafs get the privilege to raise the flag: a sign of victory.

The victory for the nafs is the main cause of calamity in the universe.

Cruelty, discrimination, wars and killings all caused by the victory of the nafs.

Bloodshed occurs everyday. Human death all over the surface of the earth.

Not to mention the injuries and disabilities and continuous sufferings.

Oh! this internal battle is terrifyingIts dangers and destructions involving the physical aspects of our lives. Human beings at a loss,with no more ideas.

Wondering what to do next.

So that in this battle the victory is for the heart and soul, not the nafs.

No professor is capable of stopping the victory of the nafs.

The philosophers are disheartened, some even given up.

Towards the advancement and victory after victory achieved by the nafs.

All mankind is at a loss, feeling hopeless and disappointed. They are weary of living this way.

We are hopeful for Allah Taala to appoint a spiritual leader. Who's able to prevent the victory for the nafsand able to help provide the victory for the soul. So that the world will be in peace, prosperity, tranquility and harmony

After Asar 26 - 07- 1999

WORLDLY LOVE

الحبّ الدنيوي

Worldly love have destroyed human beings. Whatever accomplished are all for worldly reasons. Seldom for God or Hereafter. Marriage for the worldly pleasures. Learning for worldly gains. Friendship for worldly benefits. Business partnerships established for material pleasures. Struggles are also for worldly reasons. Acquiring religious knowledge also for worldly gains. The world has truly become the ambition or strive for the lives among humans. No more for Hereafter or God. Husbands and wives disagree easily. Friendships have no loyalty. Disunity frequently occurs among the members struggling in the same organization. In business dealings there is always back stabbing.

Pursuing knowledge for the sake of salary. The teachers imparting knowledge for money and personal needs. Finally, there's no more pleasure in needing each other among humans. Being independent from others is an impossibility. Humans are incapable of living alone. But there's always mistrust between each other. As humans are prejudiced among themselves. As between themselves they feel," when will I be the victim of his lies"," When will I be betrayed"," When will I be sacrificed by my own partner".

So, in social interactions, love and affection is not a consideration anymore. So, human beings live with anxiety everyday. Human lives are for the world, no more for God or the Hereafter. In the end, their own goals or ambitions causing distress among themselvesand all groups and various categories of mankind have no more joy in their lives. As human beings distrust each other. Even with marital relationship, there is no more happiness and joy. Between themselves there is no more togetherness. As the relationship is based on natural and biological instincts. But in fulfilling the instincts, there's mistrust between each other. This is the reality of human lives at the present time. The beauty of living has been fully destroyed. This is hell in this world before the absolute Hell. For as long as human beings do not change their attitudes. They are trapped within their lives.

13.8.2005 Before retiring

ISLAMIC FINANCIAL STRENGTH

The whole world is particular about economy which is considered as the main source of life. Every nation and every country strive hard to strengthen their economic situation. When the economy of a country is strong, the country will advance in many other fields like industries, technologies and even military. The strong economy enables a country to take over another country. Little wonder, economy is always the focus of all the world leaders.
The muslim world are also in the race. They are also strengthening their economy. Many via the capitalist system introduced and supported by the Western countries and the Jews. The muslim forget that Islam has its own economic system which is far better than the capitalist. Under islamic economy, God is the essence.

The capitalist’s main focus is profitability per se. The concept of love and care in undertaking business decision is almost non existing. Economy as an ibadah is unthinkable. As such, capitalists will compete vigorously to increase their profits and minimize their losses even by stepping on others.

Unfortunately, many muslims are also in the same school of thought. Instead of taking God as the guidance, we try to compete with the capitalists on their own platform which is created by them to generate income for themselves. The result? We always failed and face further diminution.

Muslims must reassess their economic focus and guidelines. Taqwa is the foundation upon which all business decisions and planning should be constructed. The Islamic economic and financial systems are meant to protect human, and to promote love and care, unity among all, bringing peace and harmony here and the hereafter.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Do protect our family dignity especially our parents. Humiliating them means we are humiliating ourselves. Disgracing them means we are disgracing ourselves. Humiliating any parents, our soul will be in sorrow while we are still alive on this earth. Whereever we go there will be misery. As one of the great sins after apostacy is disaffection towards both parents.
Companionship comes with loyalty. Being concious and cautious of the feelings of our companion. His interest being taken care of before ourselves. This is what we should do if we wish to be a companion of anyone.

Do display noble attributes instead of preaching the philosophy of attributes. Attributes or virtues are like the clothes we wear. Those without any external clothes on are simply displaying their external imperfections. Those without any internal clothes will display their internal imperfections or ill traits. Any promises made should be into reality, not just words or empty promises.

IT IS A STRUGGLE TO BE
RIGHTEOUS TOWARDS GOD
[PART 2]

In our lifetime have we ever felt that we are in God`s grasp or embrace? God is capable of doing anything and at any time to us, down with illness, stricken with poverty, afflicted with calamity or He could take our life away. God, whenever He wishes to do anything, He utters, "Kun" fayakun". God`s power is awesome. Do our heart have no sense of fear, feel the tremors and the gasping of our breath?

If we do not feel anything, it simply means that the ill traits (mazmumah) are still preventing us from being righteous towards God.

We still do not have any fear towards God`s power. We are still arrogant and feel that God only has limited powers. How would we feel when we are apprehended by the police and then taken to the court of justice being accused for various civil crimes? Apprehensive, anxiety,petrified and feeling small towards the judge, really-really hoping for leniency from the judge. We seemed to be really polite in front of the judge. At times, the crime is not even ours but somehow the fear is too extreme.

* Another aspect when it is a struggle to be righteous towards God is to accept with no ill feelings any fate bestowed upon us. Whenever any tests befallen upon us, there is difficulty to be patient. With our future, we seem to confront it with worry and anxiety. Seldom that we leave our fate and destiny to God with full confidence and peacefulness.

God has predesigned our lives up to every second, every single moment. Whatever happened both inside and outside us, all has been predetermined by God from time immemorial.Allah has set our destiny with utmost wisdom, farsightedness, fairness and justification, ideal and protecting all creations.

There is not even one single defect when God determines anything as God is the Most Perfect and Most Pure from any mistakes and negligence.Refusing to accept and having ill feelings towards God`s fate upon us could disavow us and blemishing our faith. As if God`s fate and destiny has weaknesses and inaccurate. Actually human`s nafs or desire will accept anything good from God and he feels good about God at that instance. However, when something unbeneficial happens to him, he feels God`s fate is inaccurate. He begins to grumble, whining and protesting showing his dissatisfaction.This is how human beings behave, very unrighteous and despicable towards God.

These are the examples of how difficult it is to be righteous towards God.

IT IS A STRUGGLE TO BE

RIGHTEOUS TOWARDS GOD

[PART 1]

God commanded human beings to be righteous and virtuous towards Allah and amongst other human beings. But, human beings generally stress on honourable ethics during human interactions while righteousness towards God seen to be of no importance.It is right and proper to give the priority of righteousness towards God.

When the righteousness with God is accomplished, automatically the righteousness among fellow mankind will be established. Establishing and maintaining moral excellence with God is challenging. When the heart has no fear and love for God, this will prevent human beings from being righteous with God.The heart and soul unfamiliar with God preserve all the ill traits (mazmumah).

For as long as the heart of human beings still uncleansed from the illness of jealousy, craziness for worldly gains, spitefulness, searching for glamour, self-centredness and self-assurance and various other ill traits of the heart, God will not be familiar to them, God will not be respected, adulated, glorified and honoured.

Evidence of the struggles to be righteous towards God are:

* God is the supreme love and extremely loyal companion protecting, providing our needs and guarding our security. God's kindness towards us is significant. His Supremacy and Dominance over us boundless.

By right God should be the one we love and aggrandize most. But only our mind is accepting this fact, while our impure heart polluted with the ill traits encouraging us to love and aggrandize the worldly matters. Indicating we are unrighteous towards God, the Most Kind.


* It is difficult to feel God's existence and His utmost knowledge about us, to sense His existence and presence, to feel Him overseeing us endlessly, to feel Him listening to us relentlessly, to feel Him dominating us perpetually and various other feelings for God as He has commanded us to possses so that we are able to think of Him continously.

We perform our daily obligatory prayers five times a day.Officially, five times a day we are taken unintentionally to remember Him, but what are our thoughts during our solat?And yet Allah has decreed in the Al Quran meaning:" Do perform solat to remember Me."One who remembers Allah will feel His existence and Allah in the know all about him, both his physical and spiritual aspects. Triggering the feelings of fear and apprehension towards God's Supremacy. This describes as one who is righteous towards Allah.

If we fail to be righteous towards God during our official meet with Him i.e during our obligatory prayers, then during the other normal times, during our working hours,times we spent with the family, times we spent for entertainment, it is even difficult for us to remember Him.This shows that our solat has not wither all the ill traits (mazmumah) preventing us to be righteous towards God. Showing off, self assurance, crazy for the world, arrogance, self centered, greed, miser, all the traits nesting inside the heart.

ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

WHILE MINDSET MANMADE

Many of the Muslims still observe and practise the religious rituals especially the daily prayers, fasting during Ramadhan, paying the tithe, not forgetting to perform the umrah and Haj but their mindset, their ideologies or rationalism are all manmade.

They are Islamic only on their rituals, while their thoughts are unIslamic. Their Islamic practices are not universal or global. They are Islamic in relation to the rituals, their mindest and culture very damaging. Their religious rituals are observed without fail but their creative and literature mindset are meaningless and going nowhere. Not based on belief in God and Islamic viewpoint following the Al Quran and As Sunnah.

Their religious observance and practices are not bad but their struggles based on ideologies and pragmatism. God being put aside, their Islamic views are not global, in fact, aimless. Some practised their rituals with great care but their delivery of Islamic teachings are for monetary gains. They assume their lives and struggle are for Islam. They do not neglect their religious rituals, but they disseminate Islamic teachings for the sake of name and glamour. Islam is not simply ritual practices, it encompasses every aspect of life, it is termed as general practices or rituals.

The reason for their existence in this world, various lifestyles amongst the Muslims, like a patchwork and so diversified. Their religious practices are Islamic, but other aspects in their lives are adopted from concepts belonging to somebody else. Some with capitalist concept, some with socialist concept, some with nationalist concept and some with pragmatist concept, God has been set aside or God no longer exist in their lives. As if God no longer has any role. This is the way the Muslims nowadays, theories and concept invented by human mindset and nafs intermingled with Islam. Anyone practising the universal and global Islam seen to be unfaithful. Those with evil hearts strive to bring them down accusing them to be deviationist.

21.5.2004 Before retiring