Purpose of Life

Why are we created anyway? What is the very reason of our existence? Did God create me for nothing in this world? Or did He create me for the sake of entertainments, sex and enjoyments in this world? Question! question! question!. Questions which men need to uncover before they have their final breath in this temporary world... In fact, I would say, these are among the fundamental questions that we as human being should be asking ourselves...In my previous post entitled Look at the world around you, I did say something about the one which are created and the One which is what we call as the Creator. For us, we are both creator and created at the same time. In fact, we create so many things so that they may serve us.

However, it is to be noted that, this does not apply to Allah as He is the Creator of all creatures, God of the heavens and the earth. Bare in mind that, He is the sole Creator and thus no issue of who created God as the principle of cause and effect cannot be applied to Him. In fact, such issue is so meaningless due to the fact that the law of causation is for those who live in space and time. On the other hand, it is God who created space and time hence making Him transcendent in relation to both while it is an error to think that He is bound either by them or by their laws. It is Allah who created the law of causation and we cannot consider Him as subject to the law He created. Finish for that part and back to our discussion-the purpose of life.
Dear brothers and sisters, don’t you think that we are created for nothing in this world? Think about it-we created and invented things as a result of human products so that they may serve us. Just look at the things around us-Computer, table, chair, washing machine, lamp, fan and even to small things like paper clips, nails and so on. All of these are in fact created to serve its creator/s. Hence, isn’t fair to say that human beings also fall to same principle. They were created at the first place and then they must serve their Creator namely God the Almighty. In fact, He is the Creator of all creatures.
It’s really beautiful to know what Said Nursi has to say about this. He said:

“Do not suppose yourself to be free and independent. For if you look at this guest-house of the world with the eye of wisdom, you will see that nothing at all is without order and without purpose? How can you remain outside the order and be without purpose!”

It’s true isn’t it?.It is extremely impossible for the human beings to be created by a Creator but then to be purposeless at the same time!!It would be futile to think so isn’t it?. Even it is very logical to think that men would not invent or create something without purpose. Agree? It is same thing with human beings. The simplest explanation for the question of the purpose of life lies goes back to the Qur’an itself. Allah says:

I have only created Jinns and men, that They may serve Me.

(Qur'an)Al-Dzariyaat:56
Yes, we were created to serve our Creator. Simple isn’t it? In fact, it is a clear cut. Metaphorically speaking, men invented things; devices etc and provide a manual or instruction for such things/devices to work accordingly. Same like us human beings. Allah is truly The Wisest One. He did not make us without a ‘manual’ so that our life would be problematic and useless, rather He gave us such a most comprehensive and perfect ‘manual’ that have ever existed in this world, in which if it is followed as how it is ought to be, men would never be lost. Yes, that ‘manual’ is called Qur’an and it is that simple. Nevertheless, still we- you and me always take it for granted! Agree?.
InsyaAllah, we pray that we are among those who know how to read this ‘manual’ each and every second of our life and not only to read it, but also to comprehend, apprehend, analyze, understand and grasp the values contain in it and make it into practise in our daily life. If we remember this, InsyaAllah, we are not like those who are spiritually hollow with unhappy souls throughout their entire life..
I am not a scholar, nor do I an expert in the religious field. I am just a layman and this is how I see the purpose of life. The question remains,Do we pay heed??.I assume you all know the answer.

AllahuA’lam(Allah knows Best).

Those Who Believe in Allah and the Last Day

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
“Let whosoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day either speak good or keep silent.
Let whosoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day honour his neighbour,
Let whosoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day honour his guest.”
-Bukhari and Muslim-

image:Flickr

Istiqamah

Yes..Istiqamah is all that I need now. Sometimes I’ve been thinking that have I been Istiqamah enough in appreciating each and every second of my life?..Yes, when I say Istiqamah, I mean being steadfast in whatever I do(and of course doing good things!). Have I? I don’t want to value this precious life in a seasonal time. For instance, to double, triple and multiply my ‘Ibadah(worship) to a particular period of time or seasons like during the month of Sya’ban, Ramadhan etc and not each and every second of my breath.. Is it really right to do so? I mean it is as if to remember your Lord is a seasonal thing to do. It is as if Allah only cares about you during a fixed period of time. It is also as if you only need Allah at this particular period, time or month!.MasyaAllah ..

The saddest part is, we Muslims, me and you always tend to think like that! Agree? Though we might be oblivious on our part, it always happens in our lives, isn’t it? Nonetheless, do not misunderstand me? I’m not trying to be judgmental here, but what I’m trying to imply is that, maybe we should change how we look at this thing and try to look it from a different angle. As such, maybe we would see things as how they are ought to be in a clearer picture. Allah does not need us to serve Him but we need Allah to serve Him as it affects us. Yet, without having worshiping and remembering Him, it does not affect Allah at all while it does to the human beings. The month of Sya’ban is approaching, later Ramadhan, Syawal and so on.. InsyaAllah, this would be a reminder for all of us here (which definitely includes me).
AllahuA’lam(Allah knows Best).

Despair not of the mercy of Allah!

From Anas (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say, “Allah-may He be exalted-has said: ‘O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me, and hope in Me, I will forgive you for all that comes from you, and I do not care. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach even the farthest heights (clouds) in the sky, and you asked for My forgiveness, I shall forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with an earthful of sins and met Me without having associated anything with Me, I shall grant you an earthful of pardon”.

Mission Statement + Good Friends

Alhamdulliah..Praise due to Allah, last night I managed to join the last series of K&A Tour organized by Young Muslims Project Malaysia..It was really informative and attractive. What more with such a renowned speaker-Imam Suhaibb Webb coming all away from America. Yes, he did share so many things with the participants including some witty remarks and stories. In fact, to listen to his speech is such a memorable moment while it’s a bit amusing when one of the participants said that people came for that program because of the fact that Imam Suhaibb is a former hip hop DJ..Yup..Its true!! =)

He touched on so many issues like-synchronized the Qur’an and Sunnah, the proper behaviour of students of knowledge, how the media tend to sensationalize the incidents of Sept 11 by saying that Muslims were having a hard time with their non Muslim neighbours while it is not really the case and not to forget his personal accounts with fellow Muslims and non Muslims colleagues both in America and Egypt (He’s pursuing his study there)..Two things that I remember most are: when he mentioned that Muslims should know their ‘mission statement’ and with regard to choosing friends. As he pointed out, the mission statement is something which is very crucial for an organization, institution and many other forms of social groups or whatever you may have. As the name suggests, same like for a Muslim.He/she should be clear of his/her ‘mission statement’ in order to succeed in life. Definitely he is referring to the purpose of life here. He then made such a simple yet striking statement when he said:

Islam never asked you to be perfect, but to make effort

MasyaAllah..Isn’t true!!Yes, definitely this statement is simple but I just realized that I never thought about it seriously..Definitely efforts are needed to change myself as even it is mentioned in the Qur’an that:

Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls).

Qur’an 13 :11
Nevertheless, I also have to remember that to be perfect is definitely beyond our reach.Agree?.With regard to choosing friend, I cannot help myself but to agree most when he made it clear that in this journey, definitely we need friends and companions. Nobody can walk alone in this ‘guest house’ of Allah the Almighty as there thousands of temptations waiting ahead .As such, a matter of choosing friends is extremely important, significant, pivotal, vital, imperative, essential and others which you can just name it. They basically have an influence to determine the very success or failure of our life to reach the right destination which is the paradise of Allah. Simply to say, they are like our sidekick in making us closer to Allah or otherwise.
AllahuA’lam(Allah knows Best)
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p/s:today is my birthday.Ya Allah..really, time is moving so fast..I had this WH Questions in my mind-What have I done so far to achieve the purpose of my life up to this point?Where I have been spending all my time,money, wealth etc?Who are those people that I have spent my time with all this while?...these and more questions to come..Erm..I wonder how I would answer them...

What Does the Qur'an Say About Jesus?

Before we deal with the question, I want to make it clear over four essential and principal facts that you should bare in mind about Jesus whose name the Qur’an mentioned as Masih Isa Ibnu Maryam. :
1-Muslims love Jesus.
2-Muslims Believe in Jesus.
3-Jesus was a Messenger of God.

4-No Muslim can claim to be Muslim if he/she does not believe in Jesus as one of the great Messengers of God.

Yes..They are definitely true.The Holy Qur’an speaks highly of Jesus may peace be upon him, and reports nothing negative about him. Take, for instance the following quotation from the Holy Qur’an where Allah says:

O people of the Book! Commit no excesses In your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the Truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from him: so believe In Allah and His Messengers...’’

(Qur’an4:171)
See also Qur’an 66:12
In the above verse, Jesus is called by several titles. He is the Messiah, the Messenger of Allah, a Word from Allah and a Spirit from Allah. Hence, it is so clear that Muslims do love Jesus as it is actually commanded by Allah the Almighty and obviously Muslims are ought to believe Jesus same like they have to believe in other Messengers of Allah. However, it is to be noted that Muslims do not share the same understanding with Christian with regard to the concept of Jesus as son of God. As it is clearly put in the Qur’an:

..For Allah is one Allah. glory be to Him: (far Exalted is He) above having a son. to Him belong all things In the heavens and on earth. and Enough is Allah As a disposer of affairs.

In fact, in another verse , it is clearly mentioned that:

To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth: How can He have a son when He hath no consort? He created all things, and He hath full knowledge of all things.

(Qur’an 6:101)
This is supported by another verse where the Qur’an concludes that :

It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. glory be to Him! when He determines a matter, He only says to it, "Be", and it is.

(Qur’an 19:35)
The Qur’an confirms that Jesus was born of a virgin. Meaning that, he was born without a father. Nevertheless, for Muslims it is not right to jump into conclusion that since Jesus had no father, then God must be his father. When the angel announced to Mary that she will bare a child, she said

“O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?

She received the following reply:

"Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: when He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!

” (Qur’an 3:47)

The similitude of Jesus before Allah is As that of Adam; He created Him from dust, then said to him: "Be". and He was.

(Qur’an 3:59)
Indeed, Allah is Great. He does not father children. He created everyone we know or we do not know from a man and a woman, but He created Adam from neither a man nor a woman. And He created Eve from a man, but not from a woman. Then as if to complete the picture, He created Jesus from a woman alone and not from a man. Here, it shows How Allah demonstrated His power to create in every way.
On the other hand, Muslims believe that Jesus was not an incarnation of God but he was merely a Messenger of God. Islam presents plain and simple Unity of God that is free from any mystical or mythological fancies. No creature could be God or share any divinity with God. Muslims worship Allah alone and He shares no divinity with any of his creation. This can be simply understood where it is mentioned in the Qur’an :

1. Say: He is Allah, the one and Only;
2. Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
3. He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
4. And there is none like unto Him.

In fact, even in the bible, Jesus said :

Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

(Mark 10:18)
Finally, it is to be borne in mind that, Muslims believe that Jesus taught only what he was commanded. Meaning that, he was commanded by Allah to spread the message of the Unity of Allah on earth. As a Messenger of Allah, Jesus knew that none in the heavens or the earth can approach Allah except as a slave.

Not one of the beings In the heavens and the earth but must come to ((Allah)) Most gracious As a servant.

(Qur’an 19:93)
AllahuA’lam(Allah knows Best)..

Reference:Comparative Religion:An Analytical Study Of Christianity and Islam by Muhammad Ameen Cave

Knowledge and Arts Tour 2009

Assalamu’alaikum & Greetings to all!!..For those who are staying in KL, this is a great opportunity for you to join this meaningful event with great International speakers namely Mr. Suhaib Webb, Hamza Andreas Tzortzis and many more. So, what are you waiting for! Jot down the details below and expand your horizon =)
11th July 2009 (Saturday):
One Day Intensive Da'wah Training Course by Hamza Andreas Tzortzis (Boulevard Hotel, Mid Valley, KL. Westside Room 3. Registration 9.30am. RM100 per person. Contact Sis Hanifa at 016 918 3046 for reservation/info)

11th July 2009 (Saturday): 10am-1pm, International Institute of Islamic Thought & Civilisation (ISTAC), Persiaran Duta, Taman Duta, KL: "Ethics & Religious Guidance" with Suhaib Webb. Map to venue: here

11th July 2009 (Saturday): 8.00pm, International Institute of Islamic Thought & Civilisation (ISTAC), Persiaran Duta, Taman Duta, KL: "The Disease And The Cure" with Feiz Mohammad & Suhaib Webb. Map to venue:here

12th July 2009 (Sunday), 10am-5pm, Dewan Kuliah Utama, University Malaya (UM): "YOUTH EXPERIENCE: Life, Sex, Freedom & God" with Suhaib Webb, Hamza Andreas Tzortzis , Dr. Harlina & Hussein Yee. If you only had one day to spare, this is the session not to be missed! Definitely inspirational, maybe even life-changing!

13th July 2009 (Monday), 8.00pm, Theatrette, Main Block, HELP University College, Pusat Bandar Damansara: "Live, Learn, and Prevail: Conquering Today without Regret" with Suhaib Webb

14th July 2009 (Tuesday), 8.00pm, Multimedia University (MMU) Cyberjaya: "Revenge of the Fallen: Facing the Deceptions" with Suhaib Webb

15th July 2009 (Wednesday), 8.00pm, International Islamic University (IIUM) Gombak: "Synchronized Quran & Sunnah" with Suhaib Webb.

For Bro. Hamza’s schedule, you may refer here
You may even download the poster here
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Enquiries:

Sue 012-2275 875
Daniel 012-3222 014
Amin 017-2728 586
Mariam 012-2360 014
Cat 016-6973 097
p/s: Abdur Raheem Green had cancelled his trip and he will be replaced with Hamza Andreas Tzortzis. Thanks to Young Muslims Project for the info.

Imam VS Robber

This story is about the great scholar Imam Ghazali. Having completed his studies, Imam Ghazali was en route back home. On the way, the caravan in which he was travelling was waylaid by robbers. Together with his co-travellers, Imam Ghazali was dispossessed of all his goods. Amongst his possessions were the carefully written notes of the lectures delivered by his teacher. These notes were also taken by the robbers. Imam Ghazali sought out the leader of the band of robbers and pleaded with him: “Your men have taken all my possessions except for the clothes I wear. You may keep the extra clothes and other valuables. I do not lament their loss. However, please ask your men to return the papers they have taken.”

The leader of the band of robbers was amazed at this unusual request. This young man was not worried about clothes and valuables, but he was asking for some pieces of paper to be returned!

Very curious, he asked: “What papers are these?”

Imam Ghazali explained: “I am a student returning home after completing my studies. When my teachers used to lecture, I used to make notes. These are those very pages of “Ilm that I am requesting to be returned to me.”

The leader of the robbers said, “What you have just said fills me with great sorrow and regret. Young lad! Is your ‘Ilm on pieces of paper when it should have been in your heart? Papers can get lost. Papers can be destroyed by fire, become parched by the sun, get eaten by moths, become damaged with damp,etc,,etc. You are dependent on papers? It fills me with great pity. Your ‘Ilm should be in your heart! Be that as it may, your papers will be returned.”

He summoned one of his men and ordered him, “Give back to this boy his papers.” The notes were retrieved and returned to Imam Ghazali.

Imam Ghazali was of noble character. He was, moreover, a dedicated student. The words of the gang-leader were like a knife piercing his heart. On reaching home, he lost no time in memorizing all his notes.

I wonder when will the time come to emulate Imam Ghazali?

image:pixdaus.com

Logical Answer To Hijab

Honestly, it is worth watching =)

Start your day with..emm...Nescafe???

Don’t you think that the very beginning of the day plays a pivotal role in your life? Have you ever thought about this? I don’t know... Maybe I’m a bit exaggerating here. Nevertheless, deep inside me, I have this feeling that the very beginning of your day can be the most important and significant part that determines the very great or terrible your whole day would be.Yes, it might not be true and you might not agree with me, but it is worth to give it a think!. For instance, imagine you yourself waking up in the morning and the first thing that comes to your mind the moment you open your eyes is to fill your stomach. Emm…Don’t you think that it’s a bit improper and inappropriate or I would rather say bad?..Yes, of course it’s normal, but have you ever thought that you might have missed something over here?..Emm...Any idea??

First, we forget to give thanks to Allah, our Creator and our Sustainer for giving us yet another day to continue breathing in this very world and Secondly we think about the food first than thinking about the One Who actually nourish and sustain us with food. Now, maybe it is worth to ask ourselves..Which one is more proper, To think and to thank the One Who give us the meals/the food or to think and thank the food themselves for giving us a big Burp?.. In fact, if we really ponder this, don’t you think that each morning we are no different than the animals??. Maybe I’m a bit harsh in saying this, but I have seen so many people acting like this before me and , I feel very-very sad thinking this happening to them while they themselves are not even bothered about this. Yes, you just look at the animals early in the morning going outside from their nests looking for food. In fact, they do that particular job for the whole day and come back once the sunset. Agree?.They don’t have to worry about anything like the deadline for assignments, job, spiritual upliftment or whatsoever as compared to man because the very fact that they are different from human being.
I’m just thinking that, isn’t supposed to be that we are different than the animals?.I mean, we are given ‘Aql (reason) to think whereas the animals just only have brain while not possessing ‘aql. Nevertheless, they still remember their sole Creator while not having forgetting to remember Him in their chirping, mooing, humming, crowing and whatever Allah had bestowed on them. Don’t you think that it is like they are showing their remembrance to Allah by doing that?. Emm..What about the Human being?. Sad to say, they don’t even remember their Creator and their Master who had showering them with so many material welfare and comfort, yet they do not even give thanks and being grateful to Him. Worse, they don’t even know their very purpose of life..MasyaAllah…
It is such a coincidence when I stumbled upon this hadith narrated by Al- Tirmidhi in one book that I just read and interestingly it is so much related with what I am trying to convey. Our beloved Prophet Peace be upon him said:

“Whoever wakes up and this world is his main concern, Allah will make him scattered and shattered, and he will feel a sense of panic and loss, and he will get nothing of this world except that which was already decreed him. But whoever gets up and is mostly concerned about the Hereafter, Allah will cause him to feel focused and content, and will give him a feeling of being independent, and worldly gains will come to him willingly or unwillingly.”

Subhanallah,such a beautiful hadith isn’t it?. In fact, sometimes I just feel that I am among those former “Whoever”…really!..Ya Allah, please forgive me if I am among those former “Whoever”...What about you my dear brothers and sisters? Are you among those former “Whoever” or the latter one??InsyaAllah, we pray that Allah would guide us so that we may be among those of the latter one.

Now, I want to give some analogies which I would rather consider a bad one I guess .For instance, the moment a restaurateur starts the business in the morning, the first thing that he would keep tight to his mind is to please his customers as they are actually the “masters” that determine the very success or failure for the business of the day. Same like every morning when an employee goes to the office in which he is working at, definitely the first thing that he would keep in mind is to please his boss and not to invite his anger. It is because the boss is his “master”. As such, he would come to the office on time, make sure that every work or assignment is settled and so on. Basically all of these can give a vital influence of his very day. I mean, the boss is the ‘master’ and definitely the employee has to please Him. What about the “Master” of all “masters”. Don’t you think that, He deserves the same thing?.Then why we often abandon our “Master”? He is not just a Master, but also our Sustainer, Forgiver, Listener and whatever role that you need from Him..MasyaAllah..isn’t it great!!..No matter, how mush we have wronged Him, still He would listen to us if we really turn to Him. In fact, He is our Lord whom we call Allah the One and The Only. That’s why once you open your eyes after a deep slumber, you should be thinking about the One who would give you the meals or the food (the Master) than to think about the food themselves..Agree??.It’s up to you how you want to answer it..For me, that’s how I feel...
AllahuA’lam(Allah knows Best).