Today I escaped from eVillage, as they call it Elephant Village (Kampung Gajah). Through out my stay there, I did not see any elephants but we came across a snake, few frogs, lots of mosquitoes and even a bee hive.
I am exhausted after 11 days of didactic lectures and sleeping late last night studying for today's exams. I slept all the way home on the bus. The whole 11 days were an experience but I will not miss it and hope that I will never have to go through anything similar ever again in my entire life. No offense to Kampung Gajah, it was a beautiful place.
However, it is always important to take the positive view of the world so, I am glad that I have a better understanding of Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB), Dasar Pembangunan Nasional (DPN), Perolehan Awam, Pengurusan aset kerajaan etc...etc...and it so happens that we are having our Perolehan meeting on Tuesday, so I will surely show off my knowledge with clauses and legalities.
I'm tired and lost for words...for the first time in my life, I am unable to express my true inner feelings and what I'm really thinking. Maybe things will start to make more sense tomorrow...
Thursday 30 June 2011
Monday 27 June 2011
Day 8 Kg Gajah: tired...mental saturation
After 8 days of non-stop didactic lectures from 8am until 7pm...I have reached mental saturation. Today we discussed about "vision 2020" which is to make Malaysia a developed nation by the year 2020.
In paper, it sounds like a reasonable plan. However, I asked this question to the lecturer with regards to the challenge of the just distribution of wealth to the population. I said "The world today is implementing the Capitalist economic system. We know that the Capitalist economic system is about profit making, obtaining wealth for one's own benefit. Even if we look at developed nations like the UK the quotes that we often hear about the inequality between the rich and the poor is that 90% of wealth is in the hands of 10% of the population so, how do we propose to achieve a just distribution of wealth if we are also following the Capitalist economic model?"
Unfortunately, I did not get any answer.
Let me just answer myself.
Firstly, if we were to follow the Capitalist economic model we will never achieve a just and equitable balance of wealth in society because of the nature of Capitalism. It is as though we are trying to make "sambal tumis" whilst using the cooking ingredient and method of making a "rendang". We will not be successful in making "sambal tumis" and who knows, we might not even be successful in making "rendang" because our intention was not to make "rendang". So, there you go!
Actually, some of the policy ideas are brilliant ideas thought of by a brilliant man. However, there are two issues:
1. The objective is unclear. To achieve a status of a developed nation we need to have a clear IDEOLOGICAL objective. Ideology means a system of life that is based on a concrete basis that has answered the fundamental questions in life such as why we are here? So, do we wish to become a developed Capitalist nation or do we wish to become a developed Islamic nation? or are we thinking that we can come up with a new formula of a developed 'rojak' nation?
2. In paper, the policies and vision sounds great but in reality are we able to translate the theory into practice? Our education system and our culture is geared towards theoretical e.g. I was waiting at my son's school to pick him up and I had the opportunity to listen to his ustazah teaching the class. She was talking about the importance of solat...a very important topic. However, as she was chatting away information these year 2 pupils all about the importance of solat, a little boy said "but teacher, we haven't prayed Asr". What did the teacher do? Nothing...she carried on talking about the importance of solat. To me, it would've been better if she stopped yelping about the importance of solat and just took the children to the prayer room and asked them to pray.
This is what I mean, the emphasis on theory but not putting the theory into practice. I'm not blaming that one teacher because she is not an isolated case. It is the culture and mentality of the people AND that needs to change. We need to develop the clear thinking and the clear objective and then, to be able to take the necessary steps and actions to translate that thinking and objective into reality.
In paper, it sounds like a reasonable plan. However, I asked this question to the lecturer with regards to the challenge of the just distribution of wealth to the population. I said "The world today is implementing the Capitalist economic system. We know that the Capitalist economic system is about profit making, obtaining wealth for one's own benefit. Even if we look at developed nations like the UK the quotes that we often hear about the inequality between the rich and the poor is that 90% of wealth is in the hands of 10% of the population so, how do we propose to achieve a just distribution of wealth if we are also following the Capitalist economic model?"
Unfortunately, I did not get any answer.
Let me just answer myself.
Firstly, if we were to follow the Capitalist economic model we will never achieve a just and equitable balance of wealth in society because of the nature of Capitalism. It is as though we are trying to make "sambal tumis" whilst using the cooking ingredient and method of making a "rendang". We will not be successful in making "sambal tumis" and who knows, we might not even be successful in making "rendang" because our intention was not to make "rendang". So, there you go!
Actually, some of the policy ideas are brilliant ideas thought of by a brilliant man. However, there are two issues:
1. The objective is unclear. To achieve a status of a developed nation we need to have a clear IDEOLOGICAL objective. Ideology means a system of life that is based on a concrete basis that has answered the fundamental questions in life such as why we are here? So, do we wish to become a developed Capitalist nation or do we wish to become a developed Islamic nation? or are we thinking that we can come up with a new formula of a developed 'rojak' nation?
2. In paper, the policies and vision sounds great but in reality are we able to translate the theory into practice? Our education system and our culture is geared towards theoretical e.g. I was waiting at my son's school to pick him up and I had the opportunity to listen to his ustazah teaching the class. She was talking about the importance of solat...a very important topic. However, as she was chatting away information these year 2 pupils all about the importance of solat, a little boy said "but teacher, we haven't prayed Asr". What did the teacher do? Nothing...she carried on talking about the importance of solat. To me, it would've been better if she stopped yelping about the importance of solat and just took the children to the prayer room and asked them to pray.
This is what I mean, the emphasis on theory but not putting the theory into practice. I'm not blaming that one teacher because she is not an isolated case. It is the culture and mentality of the people AND that needs to change. We need to develop the clear thinking and the clear objective and then, to be able to take the necessary steps and actions to translate that thinking and objective into reality.
Sunday 26 June 2011
Still day 7 Kg Gajah: still making the best out of it.
Played table tennis today after 15 years! It was fun Alhamdulillah.
The best thing about Kg Gajah is that I have nothing else to do here, no distractions and so, can focus on getting some exercise.
I'm supposed to be studying tonight for the exams but...I'm procrastinating. Hopefully, my daughter won't read this blog or it would be a bad example cause I'm always telling her to study and revise for her exams.
Hmm...instead I'm blogging.
I'm feeling okay now probably because I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel...the light is approaching fast, time is moving quickly and soon it will be time to go home. Hope is a powerful thing to keep us going as human beings. Without hope, we are lost forever.
It is hard to imagine those people who are detained without charge such as those in Guantanamo Bay, and even some in the custody of US or UK such as Babar Ahmad. They must have such strength to remain sane and to keep having that hope and reliance in Allah SWT. I guess...there is always hope as long as we believe in Allah and know that this life is only a passing moment. May Allah help this Ummah, give them strength and patience and may the Khilafah be re-established soon. Ameen.
The best thing about Kg Gajah is that I have nothing else to do here, no distractions and so, can focus on getting some exercise.
I'm supposed to be studying tonight for the exams but...I'm procrastinating. Hopefully, my daughter won't read this blog or it would be a bad example cause I'm always telling her to study and revise for her exams.
Hmm...instead I'm blogging.
I'm feeling okay now probably because I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel...the light is approaching fast, time is moving quickly and soon it will be time to go home. Hope is a powerful thing to keep us going as human beings. Without hope, we are lost forever.
It is hard to imagine those people who are detained without charge such as those in Guantanamo Bay, and even some in the custody of US or UK such as Babar Ahmad. They must have such strength to remain sane and to keep having that hope and reliance in Allah SWT. I guess...there is always hope as long as we believe in Allah and know that this life is only a passing moment. May Allah help this Ummah, give them strength and patience and may the Khilafah be re-established soon. Ameen.
Day 7 Kg Gajah: making the best out of it.
The lecturer today was very funny. He digressed a lot but his stories were interesting and funny. He had a nice Kedah accent. I like Malay guys from Kedah. They are often straight forward and chilled out. He was also giving us good advice such as the need to have a purpose in life.
In fact, I was just thinking about it last night. How the Muslims today have lost their true purpose in life. We live in this world and we need to know why we are here? where we come from? who created us and why? If we look at the Capitalist, they believe that they are here to make profit, to increase their wealth. They will go all out and strive to achieve that goal. Some will do it the ethical way and some will do it the non-ethical way but whatever the case, they will strive for this wealth. For those who choose to do it the non-ethical way, you will not find them stealing RM10 or RM100; they will go all out for millions of ringgit.
However, if you look at the Muslims today. There are many who have not even sorted out the fundamental question of what is their purpose in life. They are torn between the Deen (hereafter) and this life (Dunya) and in the end, do they achieve either?
Allah swt says in surah 17: 18 - 21 "Whoever desires the quick - passing of this world. We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, after wards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein in disgraced and rejected. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary efforts then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated. On each We bestow from the Bounties of your Lord and the Bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden."
So, this amazing Qur'an explains to us the reality of this life and the desires of mankind as well as the rewards that we will achieve in accordance to our desires. For the one who desires this world, Allah will give it to him. After all, the whole universe belongs to Allah and He will give it to anyone of his slaves regardless of whether they are Muslim or not; but those who desire this world will only get this world, they will get nothing in the hereafter. As for the one who desires the hereafter...and strives in proportion for it, they will achieve that which they strive for which is the rewards of the hereafter.
To understand what is striving for the hereafter, we need a standard, a bench mark. Our standard is the Prophet (saw) and his sahabah for they are the ones promised Jannah. So, how did the sahabah strived for Jannah. Did they get torn between this world and the hereafter? or did they just went for it? Surely, we can see from history that they just went for it. They strove to fight for Allah's cause, they fought in battles, gave away their wealth and their positions and they worked to establish Islam as a complete system on this earth. So, for these people, Allah will reward them their efforts with the rewards in the hereafter.
However, in this life Allah will give His bounty to both parties and it is up to Allah to give more or less to whom He Wills.
Unfortunately, many Muslims are unaware of this and often gets confused. They often get defensive when the west accuse Islam of being 'extreme' and fundamental. However, Islam is fundamental and it is extremely DECISIVE. Decisive because you either believe in God or you don't, you either believe in the hereafter or you don't, you either obey Allah or you don't. There is no sitting on the fence and to have the slightest DOUBT in the existence of Allah or the Hereafter or any articles of faith (Rukun Iman) is a disease. This disease is called hypocrisy (nifaaq). So, the Islamic Aqeedah is decisive and when we are sure 100% that Allah is the One true God and we believe 100% that the Qur'an is from Allah, His words...then, we will witness all the truth contained in the Qur'an.
The problem with the Muslims today is that they still have doubt, the lack of confidence in some aspects of Islam. Why do I say this? It is evident by the way they doubt the implementation of the Shariah. They doubt the Islamic system, the Khilafah. They doubt that it will work, they doubt that it will solve their problems.
When people say..."The difference between the sahabah and the Muslims today is in their Iman". We need to question that statement. What does that mean? I would prefer to use a clear example, the sahabah believed that Islam will solve their problem and that the Islamic system is the best system because it comes from Allah so, they worked for it even though many surah and ayat in the Qur'an at the time has not yet been revealed. When they were in Makkah, they had no clue what the Islamic system was going to look like and yet, they believed in it. They had confidence that Islam will provide them a system that is comprehensive and will look after their issues.
Today, even with a history of the Islamic rule spanning from the time Madinah was established as an Islamic state by our Prophet (saw) and the Khilafah went through glorious periods during the Khulafa' ar Rashidin, the Umayyads, the Abbasids and the Uthmani...we have written records of scientific achievements and famous scholars...we have buildings in places like Granada, Baghdad, Syria and the completed Qur'an and volumes of Hadith...we still cannot have complete confidence and belief that Islam is the best system for mankind.
We worry about how the non-Muslims would accept the Islamic system, we worry about becoming a Taliban state or like Saudi Arabia where women can't drive...all the worries in the world but if we were to study those concerns, we will realize that these problems arise because there is no Islam being implemented anywhere in the world. If the Jews in Madinah can accept the rule of Islam and the leadership of Prophet Muhammad (saw) then, I have no doubt that the non-Muslims in Muslim lands will accept the rule of Islam especially when the rights of the Dhimmah (non-Muslim citizens of the state) is read to them.
The problem is not with the non-Muslims. The problem is with us and our understanding and confidence in our own Deen, in our Aqeedah, in our belief in Allah and the belief that Islam can solve all of our problems.
In fact, I was just thinking about it last night. How the Muslims today have lost their true purpose in life. We live in this world and we need to know why we are here? where we come from? who created us and why? If we look at the Capitalist, they believe that they are here to make profit, to increase their wealth. They will go all out and strive to achieve that goal. Some will do it the ethical way and some will do it the non-ethical way but whatever the case, they will strive for this wealth. For those who choose to do it the non-ethical way, you will not find them stealing RM10 or RM100; they will go all out for millions of ringgit.
However, if you look at the Muslims today. There are many who have not even sorted out the fundamental question of what is their purpose in life. They are torn between the Deen (hereafter) and this life (Dunya) and in the end, do they achieve either?
Allah swt says in surah 17: 18 - 21 "Whoever desires the quick - passing of this world. We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, after wards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein in disgraced and rejected. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary efforts then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated. On each We bestow from the Bounties of your Lord and the Bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden."
So, this amazing Qur'an explains to us the reality of this life and the desires of mankind as well as the rewards that we will achieve in accordance to our desires. For the one who desires this world, Allah will give it to him. After all, the whole universe belongs to Allah and He will give it to anyone of his slaves regardless of whether they are Muslim or not; but those who desire this world will only get this world, they will get nothing in the hereafter. As for the one who desires the hereafter...and strives in proportion for it, they will achieve that which they strive for which is the rewards of the hereafter.
To understand what is striving for the hereafter, we need a standard, a bench mark. Our standard is the Prophet (saw) and his sahabah for they are the ones promised Jannah. So, how did the sahabah strived for Jannah. Did they get torn between this world and the hereafter? or did they just went for it? Surely, we can see from history that they just went for it. They strove to fight for Allah's cause, they fought in battles, gave away their wealth and their positions and they worked to establish Islam as a complete system on this earth. So, for these people, Allah will reward them their efforts with the rewards in the hereafter.
However, in this life Allah will give His bounty to both parties and it is up to Allah to give more or less to whom He Wills.
Unfortunately, many Muslims are unaware of this and often gets confused. They often get defensive when the west accuse Islam of being 'extreme' and fundamental. However, Islam is fundamental and it is extremely DECISIVE. Decisive because you either believe in God or you don't, you either believe in the hereafter or you don't, you either obey Allah or you don't. There is no sitting on the fence and to have the slightest DOUBT in the existence of Allah or the Hereafter or any articles of faith (Rukun Iman) is a disease. This disease is called hypocrisy (nifaaq). So, the Islamic Aqeedah is decisive and when we are sure 100% that Allah is the One true God and we believe 100% that the Qur'an is from Allah, His words...then, we will witness all the truth contained in the Qur'an.
The problem with the Muslims today is that they still have doubt, the lack of confidence in some aspects of Islam. Why do I say this? It is evident by the way they doubt the implementation of the Shariah. They doubt the Islamic system, the Khilafah. They doubt that it will work, they doubt that it will solve their problems.
When people say..."The difference between the sahabah and the Muslims today is in their Iman". We need to question that statement. What does that mean? I would prefer to use a clear example, the sahabah believed that Islam will solve their problem and that the Islamic system is the best system because it comes from Allah so, they worked for it even though many surah and ayat in the Qur'an at the time has not yet been revealed. When they were in Makkah, they had no clue what the Islamic system was going to look like and yet, they believed in it. They had confidence that Islam will provide them a system that is comprehensive and will look after their issues.
Today, even with a history of the Islamic rule spanning from the time Madinah was established as an Islamic state by our Prophet (saw) and the Khilafah went through glorious periods during the Khulafa' ar Rashidin, the Umayyads, the Abbasids and the Uthmani...we have written records of scientific achievements and famous scholars...we have buildings in places like Granada, Baghdad, Syria and the completed Qur'an and volumes of Hadith...we still cannot have complete confidence and belief that Islam is the best system for mankind.
We worry about how the non-Muslims would accept the Islamic system, we worry about becoming a Taliban state or like Saudi Arabia where women can't drive...all the worries in the world but if we were to study those concerns, we will realize that these problems arise because there is no Islam being implemented anywhere in the world. If the Jews in Madinah can accept the rule of Islam and the leadership of Prophet Muhammad (saw) then, I have no doubt that the non-Muslims in Muslim lands will accept the rule of Islam especially when the rights of the Dhimmah (non-Muslim citizens of the state) is read to them.
The problem is not with the non-Muslims. The problem is with us and our understanding and confidence in our own Deen, in our Aqeedah, in our belief in Allah and the belief that Islam can solve all of our problems.
Saturday 25 June 2011
Day 6 Kg Gajah: Err...
Well the lectures today were quite interesting and informative. In general, my mental health is getting pretty stable and especially since the number of days I've been here has exceeded the number of days left. Time is a great healer.
However, things are getting pretty weird in terms of task and what my group has chosen to do. It is all a bit surreal and I feel as though I'm being secretly filmed for 'big brother' or something. It does feel like I'm back in school again and people are behaving rather childish. I mean not in a spoilt way but as in lame, trivial and you know...not how you'd expect mothers, fathers, lecturers, leaders of the future. So, that's all I'm going to say!
I was thinking about how my life was in the UK compared to here especially in terms of work and responsibilities. I suppose I was not a civil servant in the UK and so, had no direct contact with the British government and their policies as such. Being a doctor in the NHS, your role is simply as a doctor. I can't remember going to any courses that talked about how we need to behave as government servants although as part of our training in general practice, we had to discuss about ethics, morals, communication skills but it is more relevant to our work as doctors and how we should behave professionally.
Then, as a GP we barely had lectures about government policies even though we were the target of the NHS changes. The Department of Health (DOH) was always issuing new strategies on health including the white paper, clinical governance (which took me years to understand), and the government kept changing its policies on health, introducing commissioning and all sorts of things. However, it just never seemed so obvious and in your face. The implementation of policies in the UK just seems insidious.
Maybe in the UK, one is made to feel that they have more freedom and that their actions and decisions are not controlled by the government whereas here it just seems like "you must do this" and "you can't do that". Maybe, if we were to compare the two head to head, the outcome is the same that the government is still influencing and controlling people but just in different ways.
Either way, I do not take to people telling me what I can or cannot do but rather, it is only Allah swt who tells us what we can or cannot do.When Allah says "Obey Allah, obey the Messenger and those in authority amongst you". The obedience to the ruler is with the condition that the ruler obeys the rule of Allah and His messenger.
I simply do not like it when they say "...diharamkan" as if they have the authority to make things halal or haram.
However, things are getting pretty weird in terms of task and what my group has chosen to do. It is all a bit surreal and I feel as though I'm being secretly filmed for 'big brother' or something. It does feel like I'm back in school again and people are behaving rather childish. I mean not in a spoilt way but as in lame, trivial and you know...not how you'd expect mothers, fathers, lecturers, leaders of the future. So, that's all I'm going to say!
I was thinking about how my life was in the UK compared to here especially in terms of work and responsibilities. I suppose I was not a civil servant in the UK and so, had no direct contact with the British government and their policies as such. Being a doctor in the NHS, your role is simply as a doctor. I can't remember going to any courses that talked about how we need to behave as government servants although as part of our training in general practice, we had to discuss about ethics, morals, communication skills but it is more relevant to our work as doctors and how we should behave professionally.
Then, as a GP we barely had lectures about government policies even though we were the target of the NHS changes. The Department of Health (DOH) was always issuing new strategies on health including the white paper, clinical governance (which took me years to understand), and the government kept changing its policies on health, introducing commissioning and all sorts of things. However, it just never seemed so obvious and in your face. The implementation of policies in the UK just seems insidious.
Maybe in the UK, one is made to feel that they have more freedom and that their actions and decisions are not controlled by the government whereas here it just seems like "you must do this" and "you can't do that". Maybe, if we were to compare the two head to head, the outcome is the same that the government is still influencing and controlling people but just in different ways.
Either way, I do not take to people telling me what I can or cannot do but rather, it is only Allah swt who tells us what we can or cannot do.When Allah says "Obey Allah, obey the Messenger and those in authority amongst you". The obedience to the ruler is with the condition that the ruler obeys the rule of Allah and His messenger.
I simply do not like it when they say "...diharamkan" as if they have the authority to make things halal or haram.
Friday 24 June 2011
Day 5 Kg Gajah: Acceptance and reconciliation
Today I went on the thread mill. If all fails, exercise will guarantee to lift one's spirits, release some serotonin into the system and after increasing my cardiac output, I felt better. I have accepted my fate and reconciled my frustrations.
All the activities are keeping me busy, keeping my mind off things but I'm still feeling weird. Right now, we are having a group meeting and they are discussing about what to perform for the dinner. I've volunteered myself as the medical person on call. I'm on the internet updating myself on events of the world. It is difficult to put things into context as we sit here, laughing and discussing trivial issues, there's protest happening in Syria and in other parts of the Middle East, there's wars and atrocities committed in other parts of the world and there are women like Dr Afia Siddiqui and others who are suffering in detentions for unjustifiable reasons.
Every night I go to sleep fearing that I will not wake up the next day. I do not fear death in itself as "death will come to us even if we were in the highest building" but I fear the meeting with my Lord for not having done anything to bring back Islam as a system. I live a comfortable life and my only trials are trivial annoyances.
Allah swt says in 2:214 "Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allah?’ Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!"
What is the definition of 'trials' and what standard should we compare our trials to? is it about not passing exams, not getting the perfect house, losing our mobile phone or should we compare the trials that the Prophet (saw) and his sahabah went through. They went through torture, persecution, defamation, discrimination, poverty, boycott and the threat of being killed for the sake of Islam. What were the things that they did that made them the target of Quraysh hatred and persecution? It was the carrying of the Islamic da'wah, to establish the Islamic system on this earth.
It is true that the believer will get rewarded for even the smallest of trials, even if he/she was to be pricked by a thorn he/she will be rewarded for the suffering and patience. However, we should consider what is it that Allah swt demands from us, using the Prophet (saw) and his sahabah as our standard.
It is so easy to forget these things especially when we are lulled by the entertainments, pleasures and facilities we have around us. May Allah swt protect us from negligence in carrying out our duties as Muslims. Amin
All the activities are keeping me busy, keeping my mind off things but I'm still feeling weird. Right now, we are having a group meeting and they are discussing about what to perform for the dinner. I've volunteered myself as the medical person on call. I'm on the internet updating myself on events of the world. It is difficult to put things into context as we sit here, laughing and discussing trivial issues, there's protest happening in Syria and in other parts of the Middle East, there's wars and atrocities committed in other parts of the world and there are women like Dr Afia Siddiqui and others who are suffering in detentions for unjustifiable reasons.
Every night I go to sleep fearing that I will not wake up the next day. I do not fear death in itself as "death will come to us even if we were in the highest building" but I fear the meeting with my Lord for not having done anything to bring back Islam as a system. I live a comfortable life and my only trials are trivial annoyances.
Allah swt says in 2:214 "Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allah?’ Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!"
What is the definition of 'trials' and what standard should we compare our trials to? is it about not passing exams, not getting the perfect house, losing our mobile phone or should we compare the trials that the Prophet (saw) and his sahabah went through. They went through torture, persecution, defamation, discrimination, poverty, boycott and the threat of being killed for the sake of Islam. What were the things that they did that made them the target of Quraysh hatred and persecution? It was the carrying of the Islamic da'wah, to establish the Islamic system on this earth.
It is true that the believer will get rewarded for even the smallest of trials, even if he/she was to be pricked by a thorn he/she will be rewarded for the suffering and patience. However, we should consider what is it that Allah swt demands from us, using the Prophet (saw) and his sahabah as our standard.
It is so easy to forget these things especially when we are lulled by the entertainments, pleasures and facilities we have around us. May Allah swt protect us from negligence in carrying out our duties as Muslims. Amin
Thursday 23 June 2011
Day 4 at Kg Gajah: Angry tears
I have come to a final conclusion that I am no longer living in civilization. It is uncivilized to allow a mother to leave her children for 11 consecutive days just to attend a course.To allow such a practice is unethical. They talk to us about ethics, morals and integrity...but there is no integrity in this. Right now, I just feel like getting on some sort of a vehicle, get home, buy the cheapest tickets and go back to UK. I don't even know why I'm here.
On top of that some woman was talking to us about charity and started giving a story about some delinquent kids and her conclusion was...these kids are bad because the parent(s) do not come to work on time and leave early. I mean how shallow is that? It is all about punching in and punching out, I mean what about productivity? what about staying up all night after the kids are all in bed to prepare for lectures, to write articles or to write research proposals.
They blame parents when something goes wrong with the kids, well...why don't they blame the stupid system that forces parents to be away from their kids? After this, if anyone tries to blame parents again in front of me, they would be lucky if they escape only with a few of my sarcastic remarks. I will not accept anymore of their accusations of parents chasing after careers, leaving the children with maids or not punching in at the 'right' time. It is not the fault of parents but it is the fault of this man-made Capitalist democratic system that puts profit and material gain above everything else and the mismatch system of non-ideological countries who have no clue what they're doing and why they are doing it.
In fact today, I got pretty mad but it was for a different reason. They were talking to us about allowances and so what, some people get allowances for this and some for this. Then, some participant behind me started to complain about why the police should get such and such allowances and saying stupid remarks like 'Oh! if that is the case, better to become a police'. So, I turned around and said "Despite these allowances, they really don't make much and we actually earn a lot more than them. So, why you making a fuss?" and then, I got pretty mad...and I said "This is our people, we have such rotten hearts (busuk hati), why can't we accept that other people have their rizk and we have ours, why do we have to feel short-changed".
I started to remember the lecture I gave to my post-graduate students recently about dealing with an angry patient and identifying the symptoms of anger. I recognized all of those symptoms in me, tachycardia, heavy breathing, raised voice, banging the table, becoming more sarcastic and even verbal cues.
I don't understand it. Why can't Muslims have Islamic personality? Why do they have to feel jealous over other people's good fortune? Why can't they be happy with the provision that Allah swt give to them? Why? Why? Why?
I am completely...completely...disillusioned by everything that I've seen so far within this 4 days. Islam has taught us to have an open heart, to love for our brothers what we love for ourselves, to not be jealous, to accept the decision of Allah and yet, why is this not reflected in our society? It is not just about individuals because there are individuals who do have good personalities but that is not enough...we should not be satisfied if we have it but other Muslims don't because we are one Ummah and whatever the Ummah is, it is also a reflection on us. It is not good enough to have one or two individuals who are aware, the whole society should be aware because the society is not just a bunch of individuals but they are linked with common ideas, feelings and values.
If the values, ideas and feelings of the people as a whole is un-Islamic then, it is reflected in the whole society and those values, ideas and feelings will be identified as predominant, as the main values, ideas and feelings. For example, if laziness is the predominant trait among a particular race or culture then, it makes no difference if a few individuals are hard-working and diligent but as a whole, that is the trait associated with that race or culture.
If we look at the Muslims in the past, they were viewed as progressive and honorable that in his book of travels, Ibn Battuta described that whenever he reached a new land, he will be greeted by the locals and they will say 'A person from the land of Islam has arrived' and they greeted him with excitement. This shows that there was a certain perception about Muslims at the time. It is similar to the perception of the Muslim army during the time of the Khilafah, the Roman soldiers were so afraid of the Muslim army that their general had to chain their feet together to stop them from running away from the battle against the Muslims.
I wish to see that the Muslims in this country would change their ways, would dress themselves with the Islamic culture and values rather than the cultural ideas that carries no weight on the day of Judgment.
On top of that some woman was talking to us about charity and started giving a story about some delinquent kids and her conclusion was...these kids are bad because the parent(s) do not come to work on time and leave early. I mean how shallow is that? It is all about punching in and punching out, I mean what about productivity? what about staying up all night after the kids are all in bed to prepare for lectures, to write articles or to write research proposals.
They blame parents when something goes wrong with the kids, well...why don't they blame the stupid system that forces parents to be away from their kids? After this, if anyone tries to blame parents again in front of me, they would be lucky if they escape only with a few of my sarcastic remarks. I will not accept anymore of their accusations of parents chasing after careers, leaving the children with maids or not punching in at the 'right' time. It is not the fault of parents but it is the fault of this man-made Capitalist democratic system that puts profit and material gain above everything else and the mismatch system of non-ideological countries who have no clue what they're doing and why they are doing it.
In fact today, I got pretty mad but it was for a different reason. They were talking to us about allowances and so what, some people get allowances for this and some for this. Then, some participant behind me started to complain about why the police should get such and such allowances and saying stupid remarks like 'Oh! if that is the case, better to become a police'. So, I turned around and said "Despite these allowances, they really don't make much and we actually earn a lot more than them. So, why you making a fuss?" and then, I got pretty mad...and I said "This is our people, we have such rotten hearts (busuk hati), why can't we accept that other people have their rizk and we have ours, why do we have to feel short-changed".
I started to remember the lecture I gave to my post-graduate students recently about dealing with an angry patient and identifying the symptoms of anger. I recognized all of those symptoms in me, tachycardia, heavy breathing, raised voice, banging the table, becoming more sarcastic and even verbal cues.
I don't understand it. Why can't Muslims have Islamic personality? Why do they have to feel jealous over other people's good fortune? Why can't they be happy with the provision that Allah swt give to them? Why? Why? Why?
I am completely...completely...disillusioned by everything that I've seen so far within this 4 days. Islam has taught us to have an open heart, to love for our brothers what we love for ourselves, to not be jealous, to accept the decision of Allah and yet, why is this not reflected in our society? It is not just about individuals because there are individuals who do have good personalities but that is not enough...we should not be satisfied if we have it but other Muslims don't because we are one Ummah and whatever the Ummah is, it is also a reflection on us. It is not good enough to have one or two individuals who are aware, the whole society should be aware because the society is not just a bunch of individuals but they are linked with common ideas, feelings and values.
If the values, ideas and feelings of the people as a whole is un-Islamic then, it is reflected in the whole society and those values, ideas and feelings will be identified as predominant, as the main values, ideas and feelings. For example, if laziness is the predominant trait among a particular race or culture then, it makes no difference if a few individuals are hard-working and diligent but as a whole, that is the trait associated with that race or culture.
If we look at the Muslims in the past, they were viewed as progressive and honorable that in his book of travels, Ibn Battuta described that whenever he reached a new land, he will be greeted by the locals and they will say 'A person from the land of Islam has arrived' and they greeted him with excitement. This shows that there was a certain perception about Muslims at the time. It is similar to the perception of the Muslim army during the time of the Khilafah, the Roman soldiers were so afraid of the Muslim army that their general had to chain their feet together to stop them from running away from the battle against the Muslims.
I wish to see that the Muslims in this country would change their ways, would dress themselves with the Islamic culture and values rather than the cultural ideas that carries no weight on the day of Judgment.
Wednesday 22 June 2011
Day 3 at Kampung Gajah: Venting frustration
Today my frustration got to boiling point. The lecture was on integrity and although he was saying good things such as the importance of honesty, work ethics, politeness, responsibility, fulfilling roles and duties...to be clean...squeeky clean but the truth was, I am fed up of being told what to do. Often we are told to be ethical, honest, to have Iman but more often than not, it is the people at the top who abuse power, take bribery and be less than honest.
The speaker mentioned about using the office vehicle for one's own purpose and one guy asked the question whether it is wrong to use the office vehicle to go for Jummah prayer. I thought to myself, 'Oh for God's sake, what are you saying then, don't let him go for Jummah?' so, I said...why are we making a big deal about people using the car to go for Jummah, which is a Fardh and yet, when there are people at the top using official cars and drivers to send their kids to school or using government properties as if it is their own, well why don't we talk about that? I don't quite understand what the answer was but that was simply the start of me venting my frustration
I said to the speaker, "I would like to complain" and so, I started complaining about bureaucracy, long procedures that are complicated and sometimes not even understood by the officers within the department. Information are not available to the public and with all these deficiency, people are tempted to give bribe to get things done even if they don"t need to. At the same time the public are frustrated because VIPs often get special treatment, they go through a different queue and sometimes a VIP room, like the one that VIPs go into to get their ID photo taken. It is a two-tier system and full of double standards.
I think everyone should have to go through the same process and wait at the same queue. There is no concept of VIP in Islam. The Prophet (saw) was not just a Messenger but he was also the leader of the Islamic state in Madinah but he suffered the same difficulties, same pain, same hunger as his sahabah and all those who lived in Madinah. When the state was at its early stages and it was low in funds, the Prophet (saw) went hungry as the people went hungry, he led the battles, was wounded in the battle of Uhud and he went through every hardship that the people went through. So why should Muslim leaders today have to be treated in a special way, different from the rest of the people. If Umar bin Al Khattab could enter Jerusalam as a conquerer, whilst holding the leash of a donkey with his servant riding on it because they were taking turns then, why do these people have to demand being given special treatment?
When I was in the UK, there was no hierarchy in the work place. As a student, I used to sit and have lunch with our Dean from King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry. KCL was one of the best Medical schools in the world and yet, our Dean was a simple man. I used to sit in his outpatient clinics and he would chat to us, asking our opinions about things. I never felt like he was the 'Dean' or that I had to show him 'respect' but I learned a lot from him, and I still remember a lot of things that he conveyed to us.
Sometimes I feel embarased that despite being a majority Muslim country, the Islamic culture is not practiced here. The concept of a horizontal leadership is not present here, that every person is valued and respected despite their status or positions. On the contrary, this concept of horizontal leadership is present more in the western countries. How did it become like this? How did we lose Islam in exchange for something rotten?
This VIP syndrome completely against our Islamic culture. Leadership is not about status, it is a responsibility and a trust from Allah to fulfill the duties of looking after the affairs of the people and protecting them. We should study the examples of our Muslim leaders in the past, starting with the best of examples Prophet Muhammad (saw) and set a criteria and standard in our minds of what kind of a leader a Muslim should be. Never forget that Allah swt has given the authority to this ummah. We have the power to choose our leader and we have the ability to implement the Islamic system.
The speaker mentioned about using the office vehicle for one's own purpose and one guy asked the question whether it is wrong to use the office vehicle to go for Jummah prayer. I thought to myself, 'Oh for God's sake, what are you saying then, don't let him go for Jummah?' so, I said...why are we making a big deal about people using the car to go for Jummah, which is a Fardh and yet, when there are people at the top using official cars and drivers to send their kids to school or using government properties as if it is their own, well why don't we talk about that? I don't quite understand what the answer was but that was simply the start of me venting my frustration
I said to the speaker, "I would like to complain" and so, I started complaining about bureaucracy, long procedures that are complicated and sometimes not even understood by the officers within the department. Information are not available to the public and with all these deficiency, people are tempted to give bribe to get things done even if they don"t need to. At the same time the public are frustrated because VIPs often get special treatment, they go through a different queue and sometimes a VIP room, like the one that VIPs go into to get their ID photo taken. It is a two-tier system and full of double standards.
I think everyone should have to go through the same process and wait at the same queue. There is no concept of VIP in Islam. The Prophet (saw) was not just a Messenger but he was also the leader of the Islamic state in Madinah but he suffered the same difficulties, same pain, same hunger as his sahabah and all those who lived in Madinah. When the state was at its early stages and it was low in funds, the Prophet (saw) went hungry as the people went hungry, he led the battles, was wounded in the battle of Uhud and he went through every hardship that the people went through. So why should Muslim leaders today have to be treated in a special way, different from the rest of the people. If Umar bin Al Khattab could enter Jerusalam as a conquerer, whilst holding the leash of a donkey with his servant riding on it because they were taking turns then, why do these people have to demand being given special treatment?
When I was in the UK, there was no hierarchy in the work place. As a student, I used to sit and have lunch with our Dean from King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry. KCL was one of the best Medical schools in the world and yet, our Dean was a simple man. I used to sit in his outpatient clinics and he would chat to us, asking our opinions about things. I never felt like he was the 'Dean' or that I had to show him 'respect' but I learned a lot from him, and I still remember a lot of things that he conveyed to us.
Sometimes I feel embarased that despite being a majority Muslim country, the Islamic culture is not practiced here. The concept of a horizontal leadership is not present here, that every person is valued and respected despite their status or positions. On the contrary, this concept of horizontal leadership is present more in the western countries. How did it become like this? How did we lose Islam in exchange for something rotten?
This VIP syndrome completely against our Islamic culture. Leadership is not about status, it is a responsibility and a trust from Allah to fulfill the duties of looking after the affairs of the people and protecting them. We should study the examples of our Muslim leaders in the past, starting with the best of examples Prophet Muhammad (saw) and set a criteria and standard in our minds of what kind of a leader a Muslim should be. Never forget that Allah swt has given the authority to this ummah. We have the power to choose our leader and we have the ability to implement the Islamic system.
Tuesday 21 June 2011
Day 2 at Kg Gajah: blunted affect
I thought I slept well last night but when I woke up I didn't feel rested. It was a strange bed and we had to have the air-condition on all night because there was no fan. I'm not used to sleeping with the air-condition on. At home, we normally just use the fan and I prefer breathing the cool fresh night air but somehow, the air here is pretty stale. There's not much breeze and it feels a bit like being trapped in an oven.
I keep saying to myself to stay positive, to make the best out of these ten days but I've entered into one of those 'moods' and when I'm in one of those 'moods', I just need to wade it out slowly. I need to allow the feelings to hover and gradually to dissipate by itself. I'm just functioning at the lowest level, sleep, wake up, eat, be polite, answer questions and do whatever task assigned to me but there's no enthusiasm.
Sometimes when you have a feeling that is difficult to manage...you simply need to let nature takes it course, not to entertain it and not to fight it. If you entertain it, it may escalate into something bigger and more detrimental but if you try to fight it, it may rebound and get out of control. So, the best thing to do is to simply let it sail through and Allah (swt) has created time as a blessing, Time is a great healer, a bearer of truth. In time, you will understand and things will be back to normal again. In this case, in ten days, I'll be leaving this place.
I miss my home, my family and I miss my work colleagues. I even miss my office. I miss driving to work in the morning and being greeted by the sound of running water from the little fountain in front of our office building. I consider my work place like a second home and my workmates as my extended family. I've always enjoyed working in large institutions. I used to love working at the hospital and felt slightly lost when I left hospital into general practice. So, I'm really happy to be working in an academic institution and still being able to perform my clinical duties. It is in the nature of doctors to always be a clinician. No doctors will ever leave their clinical work to only be a lecturer. In UK, there is no distinction between a clinician and a lecturer. The best hospitals in the UK are teaching hospitals and the best consultants and GPs are teachers.
I was rather surprised when I returned to Malaysia to observe this dichotomy between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Higher Education. I still don't understand it. To me, all doctors are teachers. They have to at least teach their juniors and their patients. Anyway, it is a weird system that I think will not be solved until the Khilafah comes so, I'm not going to give myself a headache thinking too much about it.
Okay, well...I'm starting to think again and having opinions so, maybe my 'mood' and feelings are normalizing...maybe tomorrow I'll be able to write on more profound issues inshaAllah.
I keep saying to myself to stay positive, to make the best out of these ten days but I've entered into one of those 'moods' and when I'm in one of those 'moods', I just need to wade it out slowly. I need to allow the feelings to hover and gradually to dissipate by itself. I'm just functioning at the lowest level, sleep, wake up, eat, be polite, answer questions and do whatever task assigned to me but there's no enthusiasm.
Sometimes when you have a feeling that is difficult to manage...you simply need to let nature takes it course, not to entertain it and not to fight it. If you entertain it, it may escalate into something bigger and more detrimental but if you try to fight it, it may rebound and get out of control. So, the best thing to do is to simply let it sail through and Allah (swt) has created time as a blessing, Time is a great healer, a bearer of truth. In time, you will understand and things will be back to normal again. In this case, in ten days, I'll be leaving this place.
I miss my home, my family and I miss my work colleagues. I even miss my office. I miss driving to work in the morning and being greeted by the sound of running water from the little fountain in front of our office building. I consider my work place like a second home and my workmates as my extended family. I've always enjoyed working in large institutions. I used to love working at the hospital and felt slightly lost when I left hospital into general practice. So, I'm really happy to be working in an academic institution and still being able to perform my clinical duties. It is in the nature of doctors to always be a clinician. No doctors will ever leave their clinical work to only be a lecturer. In UK, there is no distinction between a clinician and a lecturer. The best hospitals in the UK are teaching hospitals and the best consultants and GPs are teachers.
I was rather surprised when I returned to Malaysia to observe this dichotomy between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Higher Education. I still don't understand it. To me, all doctors are teachers. They have to at least teach their juniors and their patients. Anyway, it is a weird system that I think will not be solved until the Khilafah comes so, I'm not going to give myself a headache thinking too much about it.
Okay, well...I'm starting to think again and having opinions so, maybe my 'mood' and feelings are normalizing...maybe tomorrow I'll be able to write on more profound issues inshaAllah.
Monday 20 June 2011
Facing my fear
Whatever is your fear...one day you will have to face it. Today, I had to face my fear. After months of dreading, anxiety and nervousness, today I have finally reached Kg Gajah for a 10-day course.
The journey on the bus took 3 hours and after leaving the motorway, we passed by some small towns, more jungles, more villages and got deeper and deeper into the unknown. We had no warning, no inclination of what to expect. I wasn't sure if we would have internet access, phone lines and the idea of being 'trapped' somewhere with no way out is scary.
However, when we finally got to the intended place. It didn't look so bad. It looked quite pleasant like a training centre on a flat plain with lots of building and bungalows. So, we got off the bus and reported at the counter. I was glad that they gave us a room at the hostel rather than the bungalows as I was warned that strange things happen in the bungalows. Strange...as in those creatures of the unseen that is best avoided. I prefer to focus on the physical world where there are enough human problems to deal with.
So, at 4.30 we went for tea. I came back to the room and discovered that I have internet access which was a relief! Then, at 6.30 we went for dinner but I didn't feel like eating. I was still feeling disorientated, inside my head I was saying to myself "why am I here again?" I was trying to find a rational explanation for being here, at this place but the only answer I could think of was "because I was told to come"
Anyway, my room mate and I went for a walk around the place. The air was stuffy and stale, just like my near by hometown of Teluk Intan. We discovered that there is a gymnasium, snooker, table tennis and all kinds of sport facilities. So, wonder what interesting things I will think about within these 10 days...
The journey on the bus took 3 hours and after leaving the motorway, we passed by some small towns, more jungles, more villages and got deeper and deeper into the unknown. We had no warning, no inclination of what to expect. I wasn't sure if we would have internet access, phone lines and the idea of being 'trapped' somewhere with no way out is scary.
However, when we finally got to the intended place. It didn't look so bad. It looked quite pleasant like a training centre on a flat plain with lots of building and bungalows. So, we got off the bus and reported at the counter. I was glad that they gave us a room at the hostel rather than the bungalows as I was warned that strange things happen in the bungalows. Strange...as in those creatures of the unseen that is best avoided. I prefer to focus on the physical world where there are enough human problems to deal with.
So, at 4.30 we went for tea. I came back to the room and discovered that I have internet access which was a relief! Then, at 6.30 we went for dinner but I didn't feel like eating. I was still feeling disorientated, inside my head I was saying to myself "why am I here again?" I was trying to find a rational explanation for being here, at this place but the only answer I could think of was "because I was told to come"
Anyway, my room mate and I went for a walk around the place. The air was stuffy and stale, just like my near by hometown of Teluk Intan. We discovered that there is a gymnasium, snooker, table tennis and all kinds of sport facilities. So, wonder what interesting things I will think about within these 10 days...
Thursday 16 June 2011
http://video.uk.msn.com/watch/video/doctor-interrupts-camerons-nhs-photo-op/2gy5ymuc
People sometimes ask me why do I feel dissatisfied with this place and sometimes I wish I could just pack up and leave the country? It is difficult for me to explain as it is not one issue that I can pinpoint but rather it is a whole collection of issues, mentality, values, attitude and culture. It is like trying to describe the taste of durian. Where do you start?
The video above summarizes how I feel. In this video, the Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron and his side kick, Nick Clegg were taking a photo opportunity visiting one of the local hospitals and announcing his NHS reforms plan, and along came a doctor angrily telling off the PM for not abiding by the hospital rules on infection control. He storms off saying "I will not have this, GET OUT!".
Now, that is exactly my point! this is the reason why I'm dissatisfied with this country. Not that I want to shout 'GET OUT' to anyone but sometimes...if you have to, you should be able to.
The point is NOBODY should be above the law. Everyone must earn respect and no one gets any special treatment just by having a position or a title. It really doesn't matter who you are or what desert you have crawled across to get to that desired position.
The thing that frustrates me the MOST is this whole notion of kowtowing to leaders or people with positions, such thing is rife in Muslim countries, not so obvious in western countries. We should seriously ask ourselves this question...does Islam tell us to respect people for their positions? Doesn't Allah swt tells us that the highest person in the sight of Allah is the one with taqwa even if he be a slave or a pauper?
If we look at our GREAT leaders in the past such as Umar Al Khattab, he was strong and feared yet, when he wanted to restrict the women's mahr, a woman stood up and accounted him saying "Oh Umar, do you wish to make haraam a thing that Allah has made halaal" and Umar, with his might, position and honour stepped down with humility and said, "Umar is wrong and this woman is right". That, I believe is a true reflection of a leader.
I am not asking the Muslims to start becoming rude and disrespect their elders. Respecting the elders is a command from Allah but the point is we need to refer to Islam in all matters, on how leaders should behave and how the people should behave.
Allah swt says in surah 4:59 "O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority amongst you"
Hence, the issue of obedience to the ruler is linked to the obedience to Allah. We only obey the ruler when he implements the systems and rules of Islam. If he rules by anything other than Islam then, we should no longer obey him instead we should account him and speak out against him. I often tell my children that they should obey me because Allah wants them to obey their parents but if I were to ask them to commit haraam they should not obey me. The issue of obedience is NEVER personal.
Secondly, obedience in not synonymous with respect. Obeying the ruler does not mean agreeing with everything he says. This is similar to the wife's obedience to the husband, it does not mean that the wife cannot disagree, argue or gives her opinion to her husband. The obedience is for the Ahkam Shariah not to the husband per se.
The laws of Allah is sovereign and nobody is above that law. So, in actual fact it is under the Islamic rule that we can truly say all men are equal before the law. Can we say that with the current secular law when men with positions and connections confer favours from others?
We see today one by one of the Muslim rulers are being desposed by their people for reasons of treachery, exhorting the wealth of the ummah, abusing their powers and ruling by secular unjust rules; people such as Mubarak, Ben Ali, Ghaddafi and many more in the waste pipeline. These rulers should realize that the Muslim ummah have a standard and criteria of what rulers they ought to admire and respect. Our best example is the Prophet Muhammad (saw). Our role models are Abu Bakar as Siddiq, Umar Al Khattab, Umar Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Al Fateh and many more in our history books. These are true leaders who fulfill the hadith of the Prophet (saw) when he says "The Imam is a shield from behind where the Muslims fight and protect themselves."
The status of a ruler, first and foremost is not the title, the wealth, the palaces, the applause or the red carpet but rather, he is entrusted with the burden of responsibility placed by Allah on his shoulders to rule by Allah's rules, to protect the people and to spread the commands of Allah. When the ruler takes that position of leadership, he is by definition a servant to the people not the other way around.
Watching that video makes me remember how it was not to have a hierarchy, no egotistic people at the top expecting others to do their bidding. I know that not everyone is like that and I have come across many approachable and down to earth bosses...ironically, those are the ones who tend to get the most respect.
People sometimes ask me why do I feel dissatisfied with this place and sometimes I wish I could just pack up and leave the country? It is difficult for me to explain as it is not one issue that I can pinpoint but rather it is a whole collection of issues, mentality, values, attitude and culture. It is like trying to describe the taste of durian. Where do you start?
The video above summarizes how I feel. In this video, the Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron and his side kick, Nick Clegg were taking a photo opportunity visiting one of the local hospitals and announcing his NHS reforms plan, and along came a doctor angrily telling off the PM for not abiding by the hospital rules on infection control. He storms off saying "I will not have this, GET OUT!".
Now, that is exactly my point! this is the reason why I'm dissatisfied with this country. Not that I want to shout 'GET OUT' to anyone but sometimes...if you have to, you should be able to.
The point is NOBODY should be above the law. Everyone must earn respect and no one gets any special treatment just by having a position or a title. It really doesn't matter who you are or what desert you have crawled across to get to that desired position.
The thing that frustrates me the MOST is this whole notion of kowtowing to leaders or people with positions, such thing is rife in Muslim countries, not so obvious in western countries. We should seriously ask ourselves this question...does Islam tell us to respect people for their positions? Doesn't Allah swt tells us that the highest person in the sight of Allah is the one with taqwa even if he be a slave or a pauper?
If we look at our GREAT leaders in the past such as Umar Al Khattab, he was strong and feared yet, when he wanted to restrict the women's mahr, a woman stood up and accounted him saying "Oh Umar, do you wish to make haraam a thing that Allah has made halaal" and Umar, with his might, position and honour stepped down with humility and said, "Umar is wrong and this woman is right". That, I believe is a true reflection of a leader.
I am not asking the Muslims to start becoming rude and disrespect their elders. Respecting the elders is a command from Allah but the point is we need to refer to Islam in all matters, on how leaders should behave and how the people should behave.
Allah swt says in surah 4:59 "O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority amongst you"
Hence, the issue of obedience to the ruler is linked to the obedience to Allah. We only obey the ruler when he implements the systems and rules of Islam. If he rules by anything other than Islam then, we should no longer obey him instead we should account him and speak out against him. I often tell my children that they should obey me because Allah wants them to obey their parents but if I were to ask them to commit haraam they should not obey me. The issue of obedience is NEVER personal.
Secondly, obedience in not synonymous with respect. Obeying the ruler does not mean agreeing with everything he says. This is similar to the wife's obedience to the husband, it does not mean that the wife cannot disagree, argue or gives her opinion to her husband. The obedience is for the Ahkam Shariah not to the husband per se.
The laws of Allah is sovereign and nobody is above that law. So, in actual fact it is under the Islamic rule that we can truly say all men are equal before the law. Can we say that with the current secular law when men with positions and connections confer favours from others?
We see today one by one of the Muslim rulers are being desposed by their people for reasons of treachery, exhorting the wealth of the ummah, abusing their powers and ruling by secular unjust rules; people such as Mubarak, Ben Ali, Ghaddafi and many more in the waste pipeline. These rulers should realize that the Muslim ummah have a standard and criteria of what rulers they ought to admire and respect. Our best example is the Prophet Muhammad (saw). Our role models are Abu Bakar as Siddiq, Umar Al Khattab, Umar Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Al Fateh and many more in our history books. These are true leaders who fulfill the hadith of the Prophet (saw) when he says "The Imam is a shield from behind where the Muslims fight and protect themselves."
The status of a ruler, first and foremost is not the title, the wealth, the palaces, the applause or the red carpet but rather, he is entrusted with the burden of responsibility placed by Allah on his shoulders to rule by Allah's rules, to protect the people and to spread the commands of Allah. When the ruler takes that position of leadership, he is by definition a servant to the people not the other way around.
Watching that video makes me remember how it was not to have a hierarchy, no egotistic people at the top expecting others to do their bidding. I know that not everyone is like that and I have come across many approachable and down to earth bosses...ironically, those are the ones who tend to get the most respect.
Wednesday 15 June 2011
Earthquake, Tsunami, Tornadoes: enough to make us know that the last day will come
Tuesday 14th June 2011 at 8am, I reached my work place and as I sat in my office, rushing to get some work done before a meeting that was due in a few minutes time, I felt the table shake and then, it was my chair. At first I thought there was something wrong with me, maybe I'm dizzy but then I realized, the table and chair were actually moving. I thought to myself, "this feels like an earthquake".
This was my first experience of a tremor. The epicentre was in Northern Sumatera measuring 5.6. We do not live in the fault lines but we are surrounded by countries that lie in the fault lines of the tectonic plates. The earthquake in the Indian ocean near Aceh created a tsunami that devastated many countries and took away countless number of lives in 2004. The recent Japanese earthquake also produced a tsunami with devastating consequences, destroying a nuclear plant that could potentially release radiation that will effect the whole world for many years to come.
As I sat there, swaying in my seat feeling completely helpless, I felt very unpleasant. It was like being trapped in a shaker with no means of escaping. However, this was only from a 5.6 magnitude earthquake occurring many miles away...I thought to myself, "SubhaAllah! this is a sign and why do we not see it?"
Allah swt informs us in the Qur'an about the Day of Judgement which He names various names. One of its name is al-Zalzalah, the final earthquake.
Is it so hard for us to realize that the earthquakes that we have witnessed so far are a sign for what is to come? Just because we survive to tell the tale of the earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and hurricanes does not mean that we will always survive, that there will be no ending to this world.
Rather, these events should make us realize that the earth will come to an end and it could take us by surprise just like the Aceh tsunami, the Japanese tsunami and the hurricane in midwest USA. Are we going to say all these warnings in the Qur'an are tell tales just because it hasn't happened yet. Will we only start believing when the day strikes us without warning?
Allah has warned us about the last day and it is not to make us scared irrationally, it is not to create a purely emotional reaction that will last a few seconds, forgetting about it after the adrenaline rush has dissipated. Rather, this warning is for us to seriously consider our position in this world and the next, why are we here? where do we want to go from here? what will happen to us when we die? These are important questions that need a definitive answer.
We need to know about our Creator, what He demands from us and the fact that we will return to Him one day.
These signs are actually a blessing for mankind that we recognize the Truth, so that we are prepared and for us to work towards the greater things in life, like obeying the commands of Allah, working to make His words the highest, working to achieve Jannatul Firdaus, working to implement Allah's rules and systems that will bring justice to world, like the time of the Prophet (saw) and the sahabah and those Khalifs that came after them, the Umayyad, the Abbasids and the Uthmani. Those were the glory days of Islam under the Khilafah.
When we read about what is happening around us, we know that there are activities happening underneath the earth and we do not need to be a professor in geology to recognize these signs. How long do we have on this planet, I do not know. No one knows but Allah but it should make us understand that we are limited, our lives are limited, the life of this earth is limited and we need to know for sure that Allah is telling us the Truth. Allah swt says in the Qur'an:
Surah Al Haqqah: 14 - 16 "And the earth and the mountains shall be removed from their places, and crushed with a single crushing. then on that Day shall the Great event befall. And the heaven will be rent asunder for that Day it (the heaven) will be frail and torn up."
This was my first experience of a tremor. The epicentre was in Northern Sumatera measuring 5.6. We do not live in the fault lines but we are surrounded by countries that lie in the fault lines of the tectonic plates. The earthquake in the Indian ocean near Aceh created a tsunami that devastated many countries and took away countless number of lives in 2004. The recent Japanese earthquake also produced a tsunami with devastating consequences, destroying a nuclear plant that could potentially release radiation that will effect the whole world for many years to come.
As I sat there, swaying in my seat feeling completely helpless, I felt very unpleasant. It was like being trapped in a shaker with no means of escaping. However, this was only from a 5.6 magnitude earthquake occurring many miles away...I thought to myself, "SubhaAllah! this is a sign and why do we not see it?"
Allah swt informs us in the Qur'an about the Day of Judgement which He names various names. One of its name is al-Zalzalah, the final earthquake.
Is it so hard for us to realize that the earthquakes that we have witnessed so far are a sign for what is to come? Just because we survive to tell the tale of the earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and hurricanes does not mean that we will always survive, that there will be no ending to this world.
Rather, these events should make us realize that the earth will come to an end and it could take us by surprise just like the Aceh tsunami, the Japanese tsunami and the hurricane in midwest USA. Are we going to say all these warnings in the Qur'an are tell tales just because it hasn't happened yet. Will we only start believing when the day strikes us without warning?
Allah has warned us about the last day and it is not to make us scared irrationally, it is not to create a purely emotional reaction that will last a few seconds, forgetting about it after the adrenaline rush has dissipated. Rather, this warning is for us to seriously consider our position in this world and the next, why are we here? where do we want to go from here? what will happen to us when we die? These are important questions that need a definitive answer.
We need to know about our Creator, what He demands from us and the fact that we will return to Him one day.
These signs are actually a blessing for mankind that we recognize the Truth, so that we are prepared and for us to work towards the greater things in life, like obeying the commands of Allah, working to make His words the highest, working to achieve Jannatul Firdaus, working to implement Allah's rules and systems that will bring justice to world, like the time of the Prophet (saw) and the sahabah and those Khalifs that came after them, the Umayyad, the Abbasids and the Uthmani. Those were the glory days of Islam under the Khilafah.
When we read about what is happening around us, we know that there are activities happening underneath the earth and we do not need to be a professor in geology to recognize these signs. How long do we have on this planet, I do not know. No one knows but Allah but it should make us understand that we are limited, our lives are limited, the life of this earth is limited and we need to know for sure that Allah is telling us the Truth. Allah swt says in the Qur'an:
Surah Al Haqqah: 14 - 16 "And the earth and the mountains shall be removed from their places, and crushed with a single crushing. then on that Day shall the Great event befall. And the heaven will be rent asunder for that Day it (the heaven) will be frail and torn up."
Join the global Ummah for Khilafah!
Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hazim, who said:"I accompanied Abu Hurairah for five years and heard him talking of the Prophet's saying: The Prophets ruled over the children of Israel, whenever a Prophet died another Prophet succeeded him, but there will be no Prophet after me. There will be Khulafa'a (Khalif) and they will number many. The people asked: What then do you order us to do? He (saw) said Fulfill the bay'ah (pledge of allegience) to them ONE after another and give them their due. Surely Allah will ask them about what He entrusted them with.
Join the global ummah in their quest to re-establish the Khilafah (Daulah Islamiyah). Familiarize yourself with the true vision of the Islamic state, an ideological state that will implement Islam, look after the affairs of its citizens, Muslims and non-Muslims (Ahl al Dhimmah), look after the interests of the Ummah and protect the Deen of Allah.
The first conference happened in Indonesia on the 12th June 2011
http://www.mykhilafah.com/hizb-worldwide/2870-ribuan-kaum-muslimin-hadir-ke-konferens-rejab-1432h-di-samarinda-indonesia
Next will be held in Malaysia 26th June 2011 (as poster above)
and at the same time in the USA
http://hizb-america.org/khilafah-conference-2011
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| United States of America |
Followed by Khilafah conference in Australia 3rd July 2011 at Grand Westella, St Bridge, Lidcombe
www.uprising2011.com
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| Australia |
International Khilafah conference in the United Kingdom Saturday 9th July Mile End
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| United Kingdom |
Friday 3 June 2011
We can be the best if we refer back to our Aqeedah
I've been feeling pretty positive for the past few weeks.
I've noticed little things in my kids that made me believe that I've made the right choice inshaAllah in relocating back to Malaysia. The older kids are taking responsibility for the younger ones and my 8-year-old son is especially good at taking care of the babies during shopping trips. They are becoming more independent. They have certainly developed better attitudes in their manners and conduct especially towards people older than themselves.
Last Sunday, I had a rare opportunity to sit down and chat with my dad. He gave me a complete history of his life and our ancestors. I sort of knew that my grand father was a descendent of the Java royal family from Jogjakarta but never realised that he was a descendent of Diponegoro, the prince who fought against the Dutch. My dad also related to me his experiences, life of hardship and his service in the military. My dad was such a dedicated military cadet during his time in Raffles school, Singapore that he was offered by the British to attend Sandhurst Royal Military College but my grandmother refused to allow him to venture overseas. Instead he furthered his studies at Universiti Malaya Singapore and continued his military service as a volunteer. I related these stories to my son in the hope that it would inspire him to be diligent, dedicated and disciplined.
My 17 years living in the UK has definitely influenced my behaviour and thinking but to me, what really changed and influenced my thinking was my contact with the Muslims in UK, specifically studying the works of Sheikh Nabhani. When I was in UK, Islam became real to me not just a something to do with spirituality and ibaadah but it filled all the voids in my life, spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally and politically. When I say politically, I'm not saying in terms of voting or campaigning but in terms of the ruling system, economic system, social system, education system, judicial system and the whole issue of international relations and dealing with life affairs.
When you live in a so called 'developing' country, the only access you have to the Western world is through the television programmes, possibly news channel (if you watch international news), magazines, internet and the few western people that you might come across at work or in shopping malls. If your only source of knowledge of the west is American TV programmes, you're definitely not getting the full and correct picture.
However, when you lived somewhere for 17 years, worked and mingled with the people, you see the whole of the society, the good and the bad. To me, there is nothing special or great about the west and sometimes I feel that the inferiority complex portrayed by some people is truly unnecessary. The only thing that makes the west advance and progressive is the fact that they are an ideological nation. Ideological meaning that they have a firm belief i.e. secularism and they refer to their belief to solve their problems. They implement the system of Capitalism and they truly believe in it, almost as if it is a religion.
The problem we have in this country and indeed any other 'developing' country is the lack of ideology. There is no firm believe in any particular creed. Despite being Muslim, this country have not truly embraced the creed of Islam to solve all of their problems. This is evident in the fact that there is no implementation of the Islamic ruling system and judicial system. In fact, implementation is just a tip of the iceberg, many people don't even have confidence in the islamic system, believing that it is old fashioned, applicable for 1000 years ago, not applicable towards non-Muslims etc...etc... this is a sign that Muslims have no confidence in their own belief and systems. They prefer to implement a secular system, a system imposed upon them by their colonial masters. They hope that this form of system would lead them to become 'developed' and 'progressive' as their colonial masters.
What they do not realized is that:
1. When their colonial masters left them, these 'masters' ensured that these countries will never be able to progress to the same level as the West. This is done to protect the interest of the West.
2. The Western system is created by the West and for that reason, they set the rules. They form institutions like the IMF, World Bank, United Nations and others in order to protect their interest and to consolidate their control over the world.
3. The Western nations are ideological nations and by that very nature, they will want to protect their interest and propagate their belief and systems to the world; they wish to propagate the ideas of democracy and capitalism not for the betterment of human life but to colonise other nations either physically, economically or psychologically.
These big nations are playing a game of chess with the earth spread as the chess board and we are the pawns. We can never be free from their control until we remove ourselves from this game and devise our own game, according to our own rules. We can only do that with an ideology. We cannot embrace the Capitalist/secular ideology because it is in contradiction with our Islamic Aqeedah. Surely we cannot believe that God only exist during our times of prayer and Ramadhan or when we do Hajj in Makkah but the rest of the time, He cease to exist!!!
If we believe that God exist and He is All Powerful, All Knowing then, surely He exists at ALL TIMES. So, secularism is in contradiction with our complete belief in Allah. So, we need an ideology but it is the islamic ideology. All that means is that we will refer to our Aqeedah, our belief in Allah and that Qur'an is the word of Allah in everything that we do, whether it is for our ibaadah actions or for our daily life, economics, education, social, judicial and political. Again when I say political I am referring to Siyasah which is the looking after of affairs of mankind.
So, I don't believe we need to feel nferior towards the west at all, after all we have Islam and Allah swt says in the Qur'an 61:9 "He it is who has sent the Messenger with guidance and the Deen of Truth to make it prevail over all the other Deens even if the Mushrikun detest it."
However, we should do things properly and not take short cuts, not because we need to prove ourselves but because we should take pride in our work, to do something proficiently is prescribed in Islam. We can take the example of the Japanese who take the effort to be precise as part of their work ethics. However, we should never feel that we need to prove ourselves to anyone but Allah. After all, it is the Jannah of Allah that we strive to achieve, not the recognition of the Western nations.
I've noticed little things in my kids that made me believe that I've made the right choice inshaAllah in relocating back to Malaysia. The older kids are taking responsibility for the younger ones and my 8-year-old son is especially good at taking care of the babies during shopping trips. They are becoming more independent. They have certainly developed better attitudes in their manners and conduct especially towards people older than themselves.
Last Sunday, I had a rare opportunity to sit down and chat with my dad. He gave me a complete history of his life and our ancestors. I sort of knew that my grand father was a descendent of the Java royal family from Jogjakarta but never realised that he was a descendent of Diponegoro, the prince who fought against the Dutch. My dad also related to me his experiences, life of hardship and his service in the military. My dad was such a dedicated military cadet during his time in Raffles school, Singapore that he was offered by the British to attend Sandhurst Royal Military College but my grandmother refused to allow him to venture overseas. Instead he furthered his studies at Universiti Malaya Singapore and continued his military service as a volunteer. I related these stories to my son in the hope that it would inspire him to be diligent, dedicated and disciplined.
My 17 years living in the UK has definitely influenced my behaviour and thinking but to me, what really changed and influenced my thinking was my contact with the Muslims in UK, specifically studying the works of Sheikh Nabhani. When I was in UK, Islam became real to me not just a something to do with spirituality and ibaadah but it filled all the voids in my life, spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally and politically. When I say politically, I'm not saying in terms of voting or campaigning but in terms of the ruling system, economic system, social system, education system, judicial system and the whole issue of international relations and dealing with life affairs.
When you live in a so called 'developing' country, the only access you have to the Western world is through the television programmes, possibly news channel (if you watch international news), magazines, internet and the few western people that you might come across at work or in shopping malls. If your only source of knowledge of the west is American TV programmes, you're definitely not getting the full and correct picture.
However, when you lived somewhere for 17 years, worked and mingled with the people, you see the whole of the society, the good and the bad. To me, there is nothing special or great about the west and sometimes I feel that the inferiority complex portrayed by some people is truly unnecessary. The only thing that makes the west advance and progressive is the fact that they are an ideological nation. Ideological meaning that they have a firm belief i.e. secularism and they refer to their belief to solve their problems. They implement the system of Capitalism and they truly believe in it, almost as if it is a religion.
The problem we have in this country and indeed any other 'developing' country is the lack of ideology. There is no firm believe in any particular creed. Despite being Muslim, this country have not truly embraced the creed of Islam to solve all of their problems. This is evident in the fact that there is no implementation of the Islamic ruling system and judicial system. In fact, implementation is just a tip of the iceberg, many people don't even have confidence in the islamic system, believing that it is old fashioned, applicable for 1000 years ago, not applicable towards non-Muslims etc...etc... this is a sign that Muslims have no confidence in their own belief and systems. They prefer to implement a secular system, a system imposed upon them by their colonial masters. They hope that this form of system would lead them to become 'developed' and 'progressive' as their colonial masters.
What they do not realized is that:
1. When their colonial masters left them, these 'masters' ensured that these countries will never be able to progress to the same level as the West. This is done to protect the interest of the West.
2. The Western system is created by the West and for that reason, they set the rules. They form institutions like the IMF, World Bank, United Nations and others in order to protect their interest and to consolidate their control over the world.
3. The Western nations are ideological nations and by that very nature, they will want to protect their interest and propagate their belief and systems to the world; they wish to propagate the ideas of democracy and capitalism not for the betterment of human life but to colonise other nations either physically, economically or psychologically.
These big nations are playing a game of chess with the earth spread as the chess board and we are the pawns. We can never be free from their control until we remove ourselves from this game and devise our own game, according to our own rules. We can only do that with an ideology. We cannot embrace the Capitalist/secular ideology because it is in contradiction with our Islamic Aqeedah. Surely we cannot believe that God only exist during our times of prayer and Ramadhan or when we do Hajj in Makkah but the rest of the time, He cease to exist!!!
If we believe that God exist and He is All Powerful, All Knowing then, surely He exists at ALL TIMES. So, secularism is in contradiction with our complete belief in Allah. So, we need an ideology but it is the islamic ideology. All that means is that we will refer to our Aqeedah, our belief in Allah and that Qur'an is the word of Allah in everything that we do, whether it is for our ibaadah actions or for our daily life, economics, education, social, judicial and political. Again when I say political I am referring to Siyasah which is the looking after of affairs of mankind.
So, I don't believe we need to feel nferior towards the west at all, after all we have Islam and Allah swt says in the Qur'an 61:9 "He it is who has sent the Messenger with guidance and the Deen of Truth to make it prevail over all the other Deens even if the Mushrikun detest it."
However, we should do things properly and not take short cuts, not because we need to prove ourselves but because we should take pride in our work, to do something proficiently is prescribed in Islam. We can take the example of the Japanese who take the effort to be precise as part of their work ethics. However, we should never feel that we need to prove ourselves to anyone but Allah. After all, it is the Jannah of Allah that we strive to achieve, not the recognition of the Western nations.
Wednesday 1 June 2011
A witness to fatal accident
It is difficult for me to write about this as it was all too real, too gruesome but it is something very important that I thought I needed to share with my friends. For those who dare to drive on Malaysian roads, we all know too well the dangers that lie ahead. Despite the external features of shiny cars and flashy wheels; Malaysian roads are nothing more than a jungle.
A week ago, I was on my usual journey to work. I saw from a distance the cars ahead were braking and so, I slowed down. There had just been an accident and as I passed the scene, I saw a lorry and two motorbikes. I didn't see the actual crash and was not sure who was involved but I could see a man lying by the side of the road. My natural instinct took over, I stopped my car in front of the lorry and ran out to help the injured man. As I got closer to him, he was already surrounded by a number of people. Still assuming that he was still alive, I started asking them if the ambulance had been called but as I got nearer to him, I knew that he was gone...
My hope of finding a conscious injured man came to an abrupt end. There was nothing that I could do. I rang 999 to inform them and as more and more people arrived at the scene, I felt uneasy and decided to leave. I was still in shock! In my line of work I've seen many lifeless bodies. Most people in hospital die from a heart attack, stroke, old age, cancer or acute illnesses. However, this man was not ill. He had probably left this morning after having breakfast, said 'goodbye' to his family and was on his journey to work just like anyone else. I couldn't help thinking 'what was on his mind during his last moments?' I felt certain that when he woke up this morning he didn't think it would end like this.
I have no doubt in my mind that life and death is in the hands of God. Ajal (lifespan) is decided by God alone but that does not mean we are not accountable for our actions and our responsibilities in this life. This does not make life cheap! This does not mean that we can take the life of others through our negligence. God takes life but we are still accountable for what we do.
Driving is dangerous even in the most civilized of roads and road-users. However, the drivers in Malaysia are not particular about their driving habits, the culture of safety, giving way, using signals appropriately, keeping to the speed limit are just not there. It is as though their minds switch off as soon as the engine starts.
I have been feeling disappointed for a while since I returned to Malaysia. For Muslim drivers especially, we should be aware of our accountability to Allah which transcends beyond the routine ibaadah of praying and fasting. We are accountable for everything that we do in this life, whether it is in ensuring that we pray the obligatory 5 daily prayers to how we drive our car. To be negligent is a crime, a sin. Do we feel completely blameless if due to our negligence, another person gets hurt?
We need to actively participate in driving, to think about our safety and the safety of everyone around us. This requires a higher level of thinking, not just a semi-conscious automatic brain activity. Just because many Malaysians drive automatic cars does not make our brains automatic. We need to engage with our surroundings and realize that we need to value our lives and others. Life is sacred, a gift from God and we are accountable for this life that He has given to us, to proceed in this life and prepare ourselves for the akhirah, through seeking His Rewards and avoiding His Punishments.
I will never forget what I saw...I do not want to forget. Every time I visualize his face, his staring glossy eyes...I think of all of the drivers and motorist around me and I pray to Allah to protect me, my family and everyone around me from my mistakes and the mistakes of others. I pray that Allah will always make me vigilant, careful and considerate to others and I pray that Allah will soften the hearts of drivers, instill the ideas of responsibility in them. Ameen.
A week ago, I was on my usual journey to work. I saw from a distance the cars ahead were braking and so, I slowed down. There had just been an accident and as I passed the scene, I saw a lorry and two motorbikes. I didn't see the actual crash and was not sure who was involved but I could see a man lying by the side of the road. My natural instinct took over, I stopped my car in front of the lorry and ran out to help the injured man. As I got closer to him, he was already surrounded by a number of people. Still assuming that he was still alive, I started asking them if the ambulance had been called but as I got nearer to him, I knew that he was gone...
My hope of finding a conscious injured man came to an abrupt end. There was nothing that I could do. I rang 999 to inform them and as more and more people arrived at the scene, I felt uneasy and decided to leave. I was still in shock! In my line of work I've seen many lifeless bodies. Most people in hospital die from a heart attack, stroke, old age, cancer or acute illnesses. However, this man was not ill. He had probably left this morning after having breakfast, said 'goodbye' to his family and was on his journey to work just like anyone else. I couldn't help thinking 'what was on his mind during his last moments?' I felt certain that when he woke up this morning he didn't think it would end like this.
I have no doubt in my mind that life and death is in the hands of God. Ajal (lifespan) is decided by God alone but that does not mean we are not accountable for our actions and our responsibilities in this life. This does not make life cheap! This does not mean that we can take the life of others through our negligence. God takes life but we are still accountable for what we do.
Driving is dangerous even in the most civilized of roads and road-users. However, the drivers in Malaysia are not particular about their driving habits, the culture of safety, giving way, using signals appropriately, keeping to the speed limit are just not there. It is as though their minds switch off as soon as the engine starts.
I have been feeling disappointed for a while since I returned to Malaysia. For Muslim drivers especially, we should be aware of our accountability to Allah which transcends beyond the routine ibaadah of praying and fasting. We are accountable for everything that we do in this life, whether it is in ensuring that we pray the obligatory 5 daily prayers to how we drive our car. To be negligent is a crime, a sin. Do we feel completely blameless if due to our negligence, another person gets hurt?
We need to actively participate in driving, to think about our safety and the safety of everyone around us. This requires a higher level of thinking, not just a semi-conscious automatic brain activity. Just because many Malaysians drive automatic cars does not make our brains automatic. We need to engage with our surroundings and realize that we need to value our lives and others. Life is sacred, a gift from God and we are accountable for this life that He has given to us, to proceed in this life and prepare ourselves for the akhirah, through seeking His Rewards and avoiding His Punishments.
I will never forget what I saw...I do not want to forget. Every time I visualize his face, his staring glossy eyes...I think of all of the drivers and motorist around me and I pray to Allah to protect me, my family and everyone around me from my mistakes and the mistakes of others. I pray that Allah will always make me vigilant, careful and considerate to others and I pray that Allah will soften the hearts of drivers, instill the ideas of responsibility in them. Ameen.
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