Problem with APEX University

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I've just heard about the news that our course for master degree perhaps will be closed. We only have two juniors in European studies where one of them is a MITI staff which makes him few years older than me. I don't really care about the course but I am afraid that I would have no time to finish up what ever that I had begin. I don't know what will happen to these students too whether they would have to transfer to other university or else.

The problem that they encountered regarding the course is that there is a lack of lecturers and our lecturers have also to handle more than two classes. They work hard for researches, co-curriculum activities for university staffs, and etc but they've only gain few points of merits with the burden that they have. The dean of Social Science department is also moving to Malaysian National University (UKM) and he has few students under his supervision too. Our previous International Political Economy has also moved to the ministry because he had applied to upgrade his post but those in human resource did nothing. We have very bad human resource here. 

This university is a university which has no campus in Kuala Lumpur and only have campuses in Penang Island, Kelantan and Trans Kerian. Technically they are in states administrated by opposition parties. The principle here is that if we do not support national side, we receive no assistance as it is to teach people not to vote wrong side. It also means that people have to embrace their "political religion". When the university has no campus in Kuala Lumpur, it would be difficult to apply help from Federal government institutions.

The fund for the courses for example Asian and European Studies under International and Diplomatic Relation courses? We do not know where does the money for APEX goes. Perhaps only those in Critical Science courses like Physics, Chemistry, Engineering and etc are receiving it but those in Humanities and Social Science are not receiving it. Our education system since long is for profit making and for human capital. But human capital which has no human spiritual values such as morality and we still could see problems in developed society because of the lack of morality.  If it benefits politicians and the chronies, then everything can moves smoothly. If not, then let it sunk down. Religion is also being tied to filthy politics. Because this is what Western world taught everyone that religion is something which would threaten them and their wipers though they had introduced the term of Secularism to explain the concept of what happened in their nation-state while it does not apply to every place. Not all of the people are with black heart like them.

I am not talking about our courses in Social Science only but this is representing all of the people in our institutions in the country. We are not protected since long even politicians care nothing but only doing things for their "own" benefits. Those slogans that they made are just baby talks. I wish some day He shows them Who He is according to His Will to these people because we are vulnerable here and we could do nothing except talking to ourselves and among ourselves. This 10th of Muharram really reflects what happens now and human are repeating the same history.

Our brothers in Humanities department such as in Hadith Sciences? I do not know what happen to them and we never actually notice their existence here in USM. I tried to apply for Hadith studies in Saudi Arabia too but the procedures are so tight and we were threatened with international laws which is prejudice with no reason like we care about the Western world and trying to Islamisize them. Stop being full of yourselves lar Western World, please lar! We are sick of your old same n lame dramas. We don't care about what you want to do with yourselves or wanted to be. 

Our job is only telling the people about Him and His message through prophethood. We do not force people and have no right or strength to force people. The job to provide Guidance, Wisdom and Enlightening are His job. Not ours... I guess if people here are not using Islam as their so-called Malay identity from being Sinified or whatever racist-nationalism teachings (false religion), perhaps the Islamic Center would be scrapped down too because it is a waste and makes no profit in term of technology and industrial-material development and causing them "sad" pocket. Those people above only looks at the physical sciences as the benchmark for civilization and not at spiritual sciences where in the end we will only have empty vessels with no soul and shameless society. Education policy, economic policy, employment policy and policies are all cross-cutting. For us people of "art" which is not apart of "science," we are not protected by the Constitution.

Sometimes, I wonder... Don't they feel ashamed of themselves calling themselves as people who believe in the God and Muhammad s.a.w prophethood and message when they are looking down at the spiritual sciences or people who observe the society and those involved in it? Muhammad s.a.w was not an engineer, not a politician who studied in Harvard like them, nor a professor who sought for phd certificates or professorship or studying chemistry, physics, biology, or doing researches in laboratories. He was just an orphan who received Enlightment from the God through the emissary of Archangel Gabriel a.s after he was sick looking at the situation of his city.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Maulud ad-Diba'i Poems

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!!!

A sample of the poem kitab that I've got from google

Just listened to Mawlud ad-Diba'i and it brought me to old memories where my late maternal grandpa used to recite these kind of poems. His voice is very nice and he loves Arabic songs and poems. He would wake up late at night for his radio to listen to Ramadhan program aired from Egypt or Syria. He also kept old zanjiy kitabs in his closet but I don't know where those valuable kitabs had gone after grandparents' house was demolished. Our elders recite the old form of this poem during majlis (ceremonies) and called it as barzanjiy. I have got the new form of zanjiy kitab which I've got from majlis that I had visited.

I didn't like these old stuffs when I was a kid. I thought that it should be stored in the museum but now I love it and I think teenagers should practice it for silaturrahim (connection of mercy among believers). I don't know maybe we are changing and time is also responsible for this perhaps. Some Muslim students in my previous hostel in USM also had conducted barzanjiy majlis during Mawlidur-Rasul (the birth of prophet) when I was in second year and lived with my Kelantanese roomate, Zaidi. He also joined the majlis but he didn't bring me to join the majlis. Perhaps I looked like a salafi kid. Hanbalis are salafis but I don't despise majlis and I respect sages.

I didn't join them because I wasn't sure about these majlis and perhaps influenced by 'wahhabis' can we say... Nonsense, wahhabism is not capable to be a madzhab at all. Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab is a Hanbali and so do his family, may Allah bless their souls. I read Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab kitabs and I found that his teachings are good too. Whoever talks evil about others and is not memorizing al-Quran nor Hadiths, I would just ignore them.

I was just afraid of deviating since I am haunted by my past experience and this practice is quite common amongst the Sunnis of Syafi'ie school while my madzhab has already changed to Hanbali after my return from Holy Mecca. However my ancestors and even my family members are the Sunnis of Syafi'ie school since Yemen was prominent with Syafi'ie madzhab angle of sunnah so I would give respect to ancestors and paying homage to the sages. I actually can't believe that I am now listening to the zanjiy too. I can't accept the fact that I'm growing old, or maybe I should just say it has cultural significance for Hadrami descents which I think must be appreciated. 

Now I begin to feel like I'm going to die when I look at other young men because I am comparing them to my pauper self. Am I turning to be an old-fashioned guyyyyy?????! I've got no money to spend like other youngsters. Even when I looked at tablighi jama'at kids, I was actually confused. Who is the tabligh??? Is that me or them? I am not even close to be converted because last time I was left by few tabligh kids without being notified about anything.

So, what is Mawlud ad-Diba'i? Mawlud ad-Diba'i is a poem and first recited by a person whose name is 'Abdurrahman bin 'Ali bin Muhammad bin 'Umar bin 'Ali bin Yusuf bin Ahmad bin 'Umar ad-Diba'i Asy-Syaibaniy whose nickname is Ibnu Diba'. Diba' is the nickname of the fourth great grandpa of this person who recites this poem, which is Ali bin Yusuf Diba'. In Sudanese it means white. In his kitab, Bughyatul Mustafid, he wrote at his final part of the kitab briefly about his life. It says that he was born in Zabid, which is a city in Northern Yemen (Hadramawt) on Thursday morning, in Muharram 4th in the year of 866 Hegira.  

Zabid is among the oldest city in Hadramawt or Northern Yemen. Now, the city is included into Hudaidah province. The city location is about 40 km from Red Sea. It was previously known as Hussaib. This city is famous where scholars from all over the world came to study there or getting the root source for hadith and sunnah knowledge. Some of them even refused to return home and choosing to dwell in the city till the end of their life. 

This city had already been well known since the lifetime of our holy prophet Muhammad s.a.w around the 8th year of Hegira. The inhabitant of the Hadramawt or Northern Yemen were actually Arab Jews who converted to Judaic tradition under two Levite tribe religious teachers' supervision of Banu Quraizah from Yathrib since before the birth of prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Around 8th year of H, a tribe called Asy'ariyyah (among them was Abu Musa al-Asy'ari) who came from Zabid to Medina al-Munawwarah to revert to Islam and getting the sources of the teaching of the God. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w was so pleased with these people visit to Medina al-Munawwarah and he prayed to the God so that He will bless the city of Zabid. He repeats his supplication to the God three times (narrated by al-Baihaqi). From the blessings of the prophet Muhammad s.a.w supplications, this city still retain its knowledge and wisdom nuance. Wisdom and knowledge treasures of this city is greatly being preserved by the sages of the city. There is also a mosque called the asy-Sya'ir mosque established since the 8th of H. It was established by Abu Musa al-Asy'ari and counted as the third mosque build by the companion of prophet s.a.w in the kingdom of Saba' (Yemen). 

The reciter of Mawlud ad-Diba'i was born when his father was out for travel. He never get the chance to see his father. He was raised by his maternal grandpa, who's known as Syeikh Sharafuddin bin Muhammad Mubariz and he is a famous sage in the city of Zabid at that time. Ibnu Diba'i still has the chance to study branches of sciences in Zabid since the city was inhabited by the sages.

Ibnu Diba'i learned to read the Quran under the supervision of Syeikh Nuruddin Ali bin Abu Bakr and later shifted to the Syeikh Jamaluddin Muhammad at-Thaiyyib the grand mufti of Zabid who is also his uncle. He memorized the whole Quran when reaches 10 years old, maasyaa-Allahhhh!!!!!! I'm still not close to any of these sages. Now I feel like I'm crying bloody tears :'( 

Not long after finishing his Quranic studies, Ibnu ad-Diba'i heard a bad news where his father died in an Indian sub-continent province. He has got his inheritance which was about 8 dinar. His father death never banish his spirit to study but it motivates him. After that, he learned recitation science which is tajweed through the Nidzham Syatibiyyah, learned idiom science (grammar), mathematics, faraaid, and fiqh science of jurisprudence under the grand mufti supervision. He was also ordered to study the kitab Zubad which is the kitab for Syafi'ie school of jurisprudence with Syeikh Umar bin Muhammad al-Fata al-Asya'ri.

After finishing his studies of the Zubad kitab, he used his inheritance money to travel to holy Mecca in order to perform hajj pilgrimage. His maternal grandfather was dead just before he returned from Mecca. He has to live with his uncle and learned some more under his supervision. In 855 H, he went to Mecca again for his second pilgrimage. When he returned to Zabid, he learned the hadiths sciences through the reading of Saheeh Bukhari, Muslim, at-Tirmidzi, and al-Muwatta' under the supervision of Syeikh Zainuddin Ahmad bin Ahmad asy-Syarjiy. While busy studying, he wrote a kitab which is called as Ghayatul Mathlub which discusses about the way for the faithfuls to ask forgiveness from the God. he also learned Fiqh and Hadith sciences from the kitab of Minhaj at-Thaalibeen and Haawi Saaghir with Syeikh Jamaluddin bin Ahmad bin Jaghman.       

In 896 H, he went again for Mecca for the third time pilgrimage. He visited the tomb of prophet Muhammad s.a.w in Medina al-Munawwarah and later went back to Mecca to study hadiths with the sage of the holy land whose name is Syeikh Syamsuddin Muhammad bin 'Abdul Rahman as-Syakhawi. After his return from Mecca, he wrote Kasyful-Kirbah and Bughyat al-Mustafeed. His writings were highly appreciated by Sultan Dzafir 'Amir bin Abdul Wahhab. He was invited by the Sultan to the palace for suggestions on his kitabs. Before he returns home, the Sultan has granted him a house and a date orchard for him. The Sultan ordered him to teach hadith sciences in the Jami' Mosque of Zabid.

Although many had come to ask the sanad (source) of the hadiths from him, he is just a humble man. He always recites the al-Fatihah and whoever sees him must also recite the al-Fatihah. Everyone around him and his disciples were also asked to recite al-Fatihah. He heard one of his teacher talked about a dream where the teacher heard a voice in the chaotic time in his dream saying that, "O Yemenites, enter the paradise of the God!" Then people around ask the voice: "Why the Yemenites entering the paradise????" The voice answered: "Due to that they always recite al-Fatihah!"

Insyaa'Allah, we may also recite al-Fatihah and spread far the mercy from Allah to others. Ask everyone around us to recite al-Fatihah too. I'm always doing this too, and I would chant salawat for others. Tomorrow is Friday which is the first holiday and today is the gate for tomorrow. If brothers and sisters that I love the most are fasting, then don't stop chanting salawat and recite al-Fatihah. If not aloud then, mentally recite them. Make it a habit, because now when I try to think about something evil, only salawat that comes out from my mind. Just a sharing, because we share every good things with brothers and sisters. Evil things we must dump them into the garbage and never let them harm brothers and sisters.   

Ibnu ad-Diba'i was a productive writer. He wrote many things regarding hadith and seerah (history) sciences. Mawlud ad-Diba'i is one of his prominent seerah kind of writing but in the form of poem. Many had also relating this Mawlud poem with Ibnu Jawzi but this assumption is weak and irrelevant. Two other poems written by Ibnu ad-Diba'i are Qurratul 'Uyoun which talks about Yemen and Mi'raj kitab. He also wrote Taiseerul Usul and few other poems. He became a teacher and a writer of kitabs until his last breath. He passed away in Zabid on Friday morning, 26th of Rahab 944 H. May Allah bless his soul and be merciful to him for his contribution toward the civilization and humanity, amin!

Dear Allah our Lord, please be in connection with our holy prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family and his companion. Allah please bless prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family and his companion and the whole nations of the faithful. May everyone receive salvation from Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love for brethren in faith, amin!!!!

Four Characteristics

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

It is undeniable that a man undergoes the life in the earth are flawed by the sins no matter major or minor ones. That is the reason why we could see vices, evil, and disobedience happen around us. According to glorious Quran, human are generally weak and could naturally being conquered by their own desire. But that is not a practical excuse for human to continue committing sin.

A faithful servant of the Lord are obliged to comply within the orders of the Lord delivered through the tongue of His prophet and messenger. A faithful servant would strive hard refusing evil desires and trying to avoid committing sinful acts or disobedience. 

The glorious Quran has also describe that those who refuse to obey the Lord would always be doomed and condemned under His wrath. They would surely receive bitter punishment in the hereafter. It suits those who violates His rules and law since a faithful servant and slaves of Him should never breaking the boundaries set by Him. 

The Lord says in Surah Maryam 19:70-72 translated as: "And certainly we know best those who are the most worthy to be burned therein 70 None of you but will pass over it: this is with your Lord a decree which must be accomplished 71 But that We shall save those who protects themselves against evil, and We shall leave the wrongdoers therein, (humbled down) to their knees 72"

According to honorable Imam al-Ghazali, sinful acts and disobedience happened due to four characteristics possessed by oneself summed as: 

I. Sifaat Rubbubiyah (Divine Characteristics)

II. Sifaat Shaytaniyah (Satanic Characteristics)

III. Sifat Bahimiyyah (Bestial Characteristics)

IV. Sifat Subu'iyyah (Ferocious Characteristics)

Divine characteristics happens when a person behave with the characters of the God. Human are slaves of the God and are not qualified to possess any of the divine characteristics such as takabbur (arrogance), longing for praises, or longing for being looked upon by the society. These characteristics in divine characteristics are only for the God not for human.

Satanic characteristics happens when feeling such as jealousy and hoax acts exists in one self. These feelings and characters could determine one self into disobedience and committing evil. As an example, Adam (as) was cast out from the paradise to being hoaxed by the Devil.

Bestial characteristics is signified by sub-characters such as greedy, conquered by the desire of stomach, heaping wealth according to desire, and others. Ferocity characteristics created acts such as irritability, vengeance, killing, violating, or cursing others.

All of these are the summary of the sifat mazmumah (evil characteristics) that we had discussed earlier. They are the factors that determines a man toward committing sinful acts and disobedience. If he leaves it without being cured, then his own evil characters would destroy him. Sin is like the poison and toxic in a human body. It would dissolve the whole body and could be fatal without any curing steps.  

If a person does not repent to Him from his sin, the sin would spread wide and become dangerous to his faith. It certainly would threaten his safety in the hereafter. A faithful servant and slave of the Lord must always observe and obey the order and the prohibition of the God. The God supports human with senses that could be used in order to think on their own and choosing either to perform righteousness or committing sin.

It should also be taken to the note that sinful matters are not those that could be underestimated by everyone of us. In fact, it needs us to be really careful in our daily acts and speeches. We certainly do not want them to haunt us in the hereafter. The whole short human life is a golden opportunity for human to perform charity and righteousness as many as possible before the death comes knocking the door. So, we should not always being in the comfort zone thinking that if we could escape earthly punishment and there would be no other punishment waiting for us. There still are torments and punishments waiting us in the hereafter.

The world is just a temporary stage for us to perform obedience to Him through His mercy which are the messengers of Him. We are responsible in avoiding defaults and other adverse actions. Pray for forgiveness from Him and repent while accumulating boons as they are those which could save us when we are assembled for the judgement in the hereafter. 

Says the God further in Surah Maryam 19:80-87

"To Us shall return all that he talks of and he shall appear before Us bare and alone 80 And they have taken (for worship) gods other than the God, to give them power and glory 81 Instead, they (those gods) shall reject their worship but will become adversaries against them 82 Don't you see that We have set the evil ones on against the non-believers to incite them with fury 83 So make no haste against them, for We but count out to them a (limited) number (of days) 84 The day We shall gather the righteous to (the God) the Most Gracious, like a band presented before a King for honors 85 And We shall drive the sinners into the hell like thirsty cattle driven down into the water 86 None shall have the power of intercession but such one who has received permission (promise) from the God the Most Gracious 87"

Allah please forgive us our sins, and our parents, and for the muslims male and female. And forgive the sins of those faithfuls to You dead or alive. With Your grace the One who is full of Grace! Sealed with prayers for love and peace, amin!

The roots for sufferings in soul

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Grumpy

This character is the most easiest to be detected and the most major in human self. A person who is grumpy seldom have friends and his heart is not in peace.

Vengeful

It is hidden in the chest and it's like lava in ones selves. A vengeful person always trying to find his way for a revenge even small revenge such as hurting others with his words would do. A vengeful person could easily be affected by heart attack. 

Jealousy

All of the practises and penance would be burnt by jealousy, jealousy is a divine characteristic and human is not qualified for this.

Stingy

Happens when a person feels that others wanted to take his property, his luxury, position and others. For example always claiming that he has no money while he actually have it but to deceive others so that he does not have to donate and help others. The God indeed favors more a wicked person but is generous rather than a faithful servant but is stingy. Because a wicked person generousity could be beneficial to others as God is giving His sustainance through His creatures as an asbaab (cause).

Greedy

A greedy person would never be satisfied with lots of possession he has as a thristy person being given sea water. He drinks the water until it finish but it won't satisfy him. Whatever is called as our property or possession when it is used. When it is kept and piled, it could not be called as a property or sustainance because there might be the rights of others. Let the sustainance or property little but it is blessed by Lord God when it is used in a beneficial way and for Him.

Impatient

When a person could not be patient with small matters, how would he be patient with big matters?

Ego

This is the mother of evil characteristics. It makes a person fallen in trouble and not in peace. A person with this character is a person who would easily feel challenged. Each person possess this character but the difference is in its level.

Show off

A person who loves to show off would feel tortured as he does everything only for praises by fellow human. Acting in front of others. When he is praised, he intensifies his practises. But when he is insulted, he would decrease his practises. The God would be pissed off with a show off person and with a person who feels that his practises and rituals done are enough thus he feels that he is holier than others.

Love the world

When we could not get it, we would suffer. When we get it, we would also suffer because it is very hard to maintain it. Be luxurious but we have to control our soul and heart. Do not place our confidence on the property and possession but only on Allah. Love the world is the hell in the world. World is hot and it is haunted by everyone. Place akhirat (hereafter) in our heart, and dunia (world) in our hand as it could be divided and substituted but akhirat is for us when we see Him. 

As per conclusion, the one that grabs our happiness is not totally caused by poverty, unfortunate luck, being occupied, and others but the evil characteristics in our selves. The higher our wicked characteristics, the more unfortunate we are. Either we perform the efforts or just giving up. In both situation we would suffer but when we perform efforts we would eventually receive happiness. May we remind each other not to be careless to avoid sadness. 

God be in contact with prophet Muhammad (saw) and his family as You were in contact with our father Ibrahim (Abraham) and his family. God bless prophet Muhammad (saw) and his family as You had blessed our father Ibrahim and his family. Sealed with prayers for love and peace, may everyone receive guidance and success.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) words of wisdom to Imaam Ali (ra)

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Dear Ali, for a knowledgeable person there are three remarks which are honesty in his speech, avoiding anything illegal, and humility. 

Dear Ali, for a honest person there are three remarks where whenever he performs worship it is in secret, his donation is secret, and the tests of God upon him are secret between him and His God. 

Dear Ali, there are three remarks for a fearful person where he is afraid of involved in disgusting lies, avoiding evil, always asking for the legal ones because afraid of falling into the illegal ones. 

Dear Ali, the remarks for a person who is always in worship to Him is that he is monitoring his own self, musing his self, and intensifying the worship to Him.  

May Allah forgives me my sins being an ingrate to Him. May Allah forgives my brothers and sisters but bless them. May Allah makes His blessings descending on us through His guidance and may we achieve success. Sealed with prayers for peace and love amongst His creatures, aamin!