Introduction

Firman Allah bermaksud,
Allah tidak memberati seseorang melainkan apa yang terdaya olehnya. Dia mendapat pahala kebaikan yang diusahakannya dan dia juga menanggung dosa kejahatan yang diusahakannya. (Mereka berdoa dengan berkata): Wahai Tuhan kami! Janganlah Engkau mengirakan kami salah jika kami lupa atau kami tersalah. Wahai Tuhan kami! Janganlah Engkau bebankan kepada kami bebanan yang berat sebagaimana yang telah Engkau bebankan kepada orang-orang yang terdahulu daripada kami. Wahai Tuhan kami! Janganlah Engkau pikulkan kepada kami apa yang kami tidak terdaya memikulnya dan maafkanlah kesalahan kami, serta ampunkanlah dosa kami dan berilah rahmat kepada kami. Engkaulah Penolong kami; oleh itu, tolonglah kami untuk mencapai kemenangan terhadap kaum-kaum yang kafir. (Surah Al-Baqarah ayat 286)

Thursday 7 July 2011

Ingat-mengingati: Kejayaan, Kemewahan dan Kesihatan yang Baik juga Merupakan Ujian

Tatkala kita asyik mengenangkan nasib diri kita yang sentiasa berada di dalam kesusahan, kesakitan, kegagalan dan kemiskinan.. kita seringkali alpa dengan ujian dan cabaran yang sedang kita alami itu...

Ketika kita berada dalam perasaan dukacita (memikirkan nasib kita yang tidak seperti orang lain), adakah kita pasti kejayaan, kemewahan, kesihatan yang baik akan ber'kesan' menjadi penawarnya?

Adakah jika Allah limpahkan kepada kita kemewahan, kita akan rasa bahagia?
Adakah jika Allah berikan kita kejayaan, kita akan puas?
Adakah jika Allah kurniakan kepada kita kesihatan yang baik, kita akan lebih bersyukur?

Persoalan ini kita akan hentikan sekejap setakat ini...
Saya ingin bawa para pembaca sekelian kepada realiti kehidupan dunia masyarakat atau lebih khususnya pelajar...

Setelah bergelumang hampir 3 tahun lebih dengan cabaran dan dugaan suka duka dunia penyelidikan, seorang calon Phd ini akan mengharungi viva...
(sebagaimana yang pernah saya sebut di dalam entry sebelum ini).
Giliran saya juga pasti akan tiba... Saya sedang berusaha cuba menyudahkan kajian dan penulisan saya ini... Saya mohon doa dari rakan-rakan pembaca sekelian agar saya terus tabah, sabar dan kuat dalam menghadapi ujian dan cabaran dunia penyelidkan kejuruteraan ini...

Apa yang ingin saya kongsikan dengan para pembaca sekelian ialah pengalaman rakan-rakan saya yang Alhamdulillah telah berjaya melepasi sesi viva mereka...
MashaAllah.. Ada di antara mereka yang memperoleh very minor corrections dan ada pula yang mendapat 6-month corrections...
Walau apapun.. setinggi-tinggi tahniah diucapkan kepada mereka yang telah berjaya... Syukur.. kerana pakar kejuruteraan, biologi dan kewangan muslim dan muslimah semakin bertambah ramai.. Alhamdulillah...
Moga kejayaan yang sama akan saya perolehi sebagaimana rakan-rakan yang telah berjaya...

Dalam saya menerima khabar berita gembira seorang demi seorang dengan status keputusan viva mereka, perhatian saya terhenti kepada email salah seorang antara rakan saya yang berbunyi (secara ringkasnya):

Terima kasih di atas bantuan rakan-rakan selama ini... Alhamdulillah, saya telah melepasi viva dengan minor corrections... Apapun, bantuan kalian semua amat bernilai hingga membuahkan kejayaan ini. Alhamdulillah, kejayaan yg juga suatu ujian.

Saya amati email beliau berulang kali... saya amat tertarik dengan bait-bait ungkapan beliau... tidak dan belum pernah saya di'peringat'kan tentang hal ini... atau mungkin saya terlupa...

Dalam pada semua calon-calon Phd mengejar 'kejayaan' Phd... Adakah kita, sebagai calon Phd atau telah berjaya mendapat Phd ini sedar dengan ujian atau cabaran 'kejayaan' yang bakal kita terima atau yang telah kita terima ini?
Adakah kita pernah terfikir dengan berjayanya kita di dalam pengajian Phd ini, akan menjadikan kita lebih bahagia? lebih sihat? lebih gembira? lebih kurang 'stress'?
Jawapannya.. belum tentu lagi... tapi InsyaAllah Moga Allah sentiasa berikan yang terbaik buat kita...

Sebaliknya, adakah jika ditakdirkan 'kegagalan' yang diperolehi, adakah ianya tidak akan menjadikan kita lebih bahagia, lebih sihat, lebih gembira? lebih 'kurang' stress'?
Jawapannya.. sama seperti di atas..tidak semestinya... Mungkin kegagalan kita sekarang akan menjadikan kita seorang yang lebih sabar, tabah dan lebih berjaya... InsyaAllah
Oleh itu, apa yang menyebabkan saya tertarik dengan email rakan saya di atas ialah... sikap 'humble' beliau... beliau tetap besyukur dengan kejayaan yang beliau perolehi... tetapi beliau sentiasa ingat... bahawa... ianya tetap merupakan ujian buat beliau...

Pada pandangan saya, sikap sedemikian adalah wajar dicontohi... Mungkin juga ini sebenarnya merupakan 'resepi' kejayaan beliau...
Mana yang baik.. kita perlu contohi... InsyaAllah.. kejayaan yang sama bakal kita perolehi...

Sikap 'humble'

Di sini saya ingin kongsikan kepada rakan-rakan pembaca sekelian sebuah artikel yang merungkaikan kepentingan sikap rendah diri dari perspektif Islam... Sememangnya Islam ini memang indah... dan junjugan mulia kita Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalam merupakan contoh TERBAIK yang seharusnya kita contohi...
Humility and its virtues

By Abu Usama Ath-Thahabi

Humility is when a person does not see himself as being better or above other people because of frivolous reasons like social standing, education, citizenship, or even color.

As for believing one is better than another person due to religious reasons, then in some cases this is permissible, and in other cases, it's an obligation. For instance, the Muslim should believe Allah has given him 'Izza over the Kaafir. This has been established in the Quran in many places:

Allah says, "...and to Allah belongs all honor (I'zzah), and to His Messenger, and to the believers…." Sura 63 Ayat 8

And in another ayat He says, "Oh you who believe, whoever of you should revert (apostate) from his religion, Allah will bring forth a people He will love, and who will love Him, (who are) humble towards the believers, and powerful (I'zzah) against the disbelievers…" Sura Maidah Ayat 54

He also says, "Not equal are the blind and the seeing. Nor are the darknesses and the light. Nor are the shade and the heat". Sura 35 Ayat 19-21

Being humble and having humility is opposite of being arrogant and having arrogance (kibr). Humility leads one to the pleasure of Allah and it causes one to enter into the paradise, whereas arrogance leads to the displeasure of Allah and it leads one to the Hellfire.

Allah has ordered the Prophet صلي الله عليه و سلم ) to adorn himself with this noble characteristic in many verses of the Quran.

The Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) was ordered, "And lower your wing (i.e., be humble and show kindness ) to those who follow you from the believers". Sura Shu'araa Ayat 215

And He Allah said, "And don't turn you cheek (in contempt) towards people and don't walk through the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah doesn't like every self-deluded and boastful person". Sura Luqman Ayat 18

Some examples of the Prophet's humility:

One of the clearest examples of his humility, is that the Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) would sit in the Masjid with his companions and if a stranger or visitor came to the Masjid he wouldn't know who the Prophet was until he asked, "Which one of you is Muhammad"?

This is because he would not sit, dress, or be treated in a way that distinguished him from the people. Unlike the way leaders and famous people are treated when they're with the people. Whenever a stranger enters into their majlis, it becomes quite clear to the stranger this person is noteworthy amongst the people.

Anas Ibn Maalik would pass by a group of young boys playing and he would extend to them a warm and gracious greeting (salaams). When he was asked, "Why do you do this"? He replied, 'The Prophet ( صلي الله عليه و سلم ) use to do it'. Bukhari/Muslim

Abdullah ibn Amr ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه )said: 'The Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) entered upon me so I gave him a pillow (to sit on) made out of skin and filled with date palm fibers. The Prophet ( صلي الله عليه و سلم ) (refused to sit on it) and he choose to sit on the (bare) ground, and he left the cushion between him and myself'. Bukhari/Muslim

Abu Saeed Al-Khudri ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ) said; 'I entered upon the Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) and I found him praying on a (normal) mat, and he was making Sajdah on it'. Muslim

Aisha ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ) was asked, 'What did the Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم) use to do when he was in the privacy of his home'? She replied, 'He use to be in the service of his family'. He used to repair his sandals and sew/patch his own thobe and he would milk the sheep. Bukhari

Anas ibn Maalik ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ) said the Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) performed the Hajj upon an old camel that had a saddle that cost about four dirhams or less, and then he said, "Oh Allah, this is a Hajj (that I'm performing) wherein there is no showing off nor notoriety sought". Tirmizi/Ibn Majah

Anas ibn Maalik ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ): 'I never saw a man seeking the ear of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) except that the Messenger of Allah would never turn his head from him, until the man turned his head first. Nor did I ever see a man take the hand of the Prophet, except that the Messenger of Allah would never let his hand go, until the man was the first to let the Prophet's hand go'. Bukhari

Abu Masood ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ) said: 'A man came to the Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) and he began to speak to him, and he was seized by fear (of the Prophet). Upon witnessing his demeanor the Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) said to him: "Take it easy and calm down, for verily I am not a king, but instead I am only the son of a Quraishy women who use to eat dried salted meat strips". Ibn Majah

From the clearest and most manifest examples of his humility is when he entered Mecca as a conqueror. It is a well known historical fact the Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) escaped from Mecca fearful for his life, as the disbeliever's of Quraish were hot on his trail in pursuit of him to do away with him once and for all.

Ten years later when he returned to Mecca as a conqueror and triumphant, he had every right to enter the sacred precincts of Mecca with his head held high as he had been given victory over his enemies, and they were totally defeated and subdued. Had he entered into Mecca in this way, he would not have been blamed! But instead, he entered into Mecca with his head held down, barely touching the neck of his camel and glorifying Allah by saying Allah Akbar, for the victory that he was given.

Prophetic Hadith about humility:

Abu Hurayrah ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ) narrated that the Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) said: "…and no one will exercise humility for Allah's sake, except that Allah will raise him up". Muslim

He also said, "Verily Allah loves the servant who has Taqwah, and he's rich (content), and he's hidden (i.e. not known by the people because of his humility)". Muslim

Abdullah Ibn Abbas ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ) said: I heard Umar Ibn Khattab ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ) say on the minbar, the Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) said: "Don't over exaggerate with me as the Christians over exaggerated with Ibn Maryam (صلي الله عليه و سلم ). Verily I am His slave, therefore say, 'Abdullah' and the Messenger of Allah". Bukhari

A lesson from Umar Ibn Khattab ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ):

'Urwah ibn Zubair ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ) said: 'I saw Umar carrying a large leather water canteen on his shoulder. I said to him, 'Oh Amir-ul-Mu'mineen, you shouldn't be carrying that'. Umar replied by saying, 'A delegation came to Medina and I saw their obedience to me, and some 'nakwah' entered into my heart and I wanted to destroy it'.

Everyone knows the strong personality of Umar ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ) and how he instilled fear in the hearts of men. And yet, when a small and minute amount of pride (nakwah) entered into his heart, he hurried in an attempt to destroy it before it destroyed him.

This is the way of the righteous people. Those who know the virtues and importance of humility, and at the same time they know the danger of falling into 'kibr'.

The Prophet (صلي الله عليه و سلم ) said: "Whoever possesses an atom's weight of 'kibr' will not enter into the paradise ". Muslim

He also said, "It is a right on Allah, that nothing is raised in the Dunyah (in stature or esteem), except that Allah will bring it down". Bukhari

If we're trying to seek the benefits of the Dunyah or the Hereafter, then part of our success lies within our ability to humble ourselves in our quest. For instance, if a person is searching for knowledge, he must humble himself in his struggle and efforts towards that goal.

Abdullah ibn Mu'tazz ( رضي الله تعا لي عنه ) said: 'The humble student is the one who gets the most knowledge, just as the lowest places on earth collect the most water'

As for the Hereafter, Allah says, "That is the home of the Hereafter, We assign (it) to those who do not desire exaltedness upon the earth or corruption. And the (best) outcome is for the righteous". Al-Qassas Ayat 83.

May Allah grant us the Tawfeeq to humble ourselves and may He protect us from the fitnah of 'kibr' and it's evil results.

Abu Usamah At-Thahabi

Petikan ini saya ambil dari sini.

Ya Allah... Moga saya dan rakan-rakan pembaca sekelian turut tergolong di dalam golongan orang yang suka merendahkan diri... Ameen...