I. Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin
In this note, I would like to keep this reminder about the lecture on the Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin. It is the summary of the Ihyaa' Ulumuddin by honorable Imam al-Ghazali may Allah be Merciful to him. Basically I can get this kitaab without going to the mosque but just keeping this as a record if I wanted to get information about books regarding particular topic. It is damn boring staying without properly spending our time. We could either go crazy or fallen into evil. So, if I have nothing to do, I better go to mosque and get some benefit from the lectures or at least memorize Quran and checking my horrible Tajweed.
Lecture of Kitab Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin
(Summary of Ihyaa' 'Ulumuddin)
Series 7th
By
Sheikh Rosli Othman
(Committee Member of State Fatawa)
29th September 2011, Thursday
15:00
USM Mosque
The book called Mukhtasar is edited by honorable Imam al-Maqdisi for the Minhaj al-Qasidin which was edited by al-Hafiz Ibnu Jawzi. It is a summary of the Ihyaa' Ulumuddin, a magnum opus by honorable Imam al-Ghazali may Allah be Merciful to him. Imam al-Ghazali was a scholar who adheres to Syafi'ie jurisprudence of Ash'ari school of theology.
During Ramadan, I talked to a Jordanian while we walked to the mosque. I just call him racist Jordanian when he spit out curse to the Jews when I said to him that we don't have any synagogue here. We talked about Chinese people as that is the first time the guy living in different environment, and he just arrived to Penang for few days. I can't remember his name and I don't really pay attention to people unless a particular person has significance, important to me, or involved in my everyday life. I think most people are like me so I guess it is normal. As for my personal opinion, I am sorry if this is harsh but we have nothing to do with political or boundary problem between Jordan and Israel so don't bring hatred to us if you people in middle east are butt-hurted among each other. I see most of people in Middle East, South Asia and Europe as the same, no difference in term of barbarity and narrow-mindedness though not in general. These people chop each other heads for difference as it is their right to kill each other. Those Arab speakers easily curse people with mal'unah (cursing) word, I know this because I mingle with them. Spirit and soul (morality) is not important that make people become insolent.
That guy said that people here in Malaysia, most of them are following something which is invented like the chant during the Taraweekh salaat service although they are very polite. I don't know what is his school of jurisprudence, but he seems more inclined to Hanbaliah as he praised the Medinah Imam which I posted some of his reminders here. I am a Hanbaliah myself in which he didn't expect me to be one and most of all I don't do what Syafi'iah Malay compatriots are doing. But, as to say, I would never talk like that to people before I check anything to the root.
I personally think that these kind of people don't have to talk like they know everything although they speak Arabic because I know not all people are well-versed in their own religion though they speak Arabic in their daily life. They don't even memorize the Nahwu and Sarf of Arabic Grammar, the hadiths and even Quran except for few parts maybe more than native Muslims here. They are just the same like people they curse, ta'assub (fanatic) without any knowledge.
Last time when I was a degree student, I was molested by a Jordanian guy who pretend to teach me religion while he don't realize that we are not converted 'muallaf' here. He has bad intention and I can sense that, he thought that I was a Kelantanese Malay or perhaps he thought that I was a Chinese. He has preference for Chinese boy face. What a crazy Old Jordanian Arab. Am I looking like a Chinese? Urr, sorry sikit I think I look more Indian-Nepalese than a Chinese though some of my sisters do look Chinese as what I use to call my sisters as Mongol face when we make jokes of each other, haha... But as to say, we Eastern people are quite polite and we avoid from humiliating people in front of others. I heard from my Thai counterparts and Malay friends too about that old Jordanian molesting them before they threatened him to kick his ass with their Muaythai and Taekwando. I hate people who use religion for their worldly desire and that always make me cautious with people around. I am not a total ignorant though I don't really look Arab. Our paternal ancestors from Yemen had previously came here to transmit the path of Allah to natives by royal decree. We just didn't know that since we do not live in comfort without any proper identity because of mixed background and nomadic family circumstances. Our elders never emphasize nor telling anything about lineages after few generations and some had lose out their title as it is not important. Is it so difficult to humble down ourselves before Allah?
During Ramadan, I talked to a Jordanian while we walked to the mosque. I just call him racist Jordanian when he spit out curse to the Jews when I said to him that we don't have any synagogue here. We talked about Chinese people as that is the first time the guy living in different environment, and he just arrived to Penang for few days. I can't remember his name and I don't really pay attention to people unless a particular person has significance, important to me, or involved in my everyday life. I think most people are like me so I guess it is normal. As for my personal opinion, I am sorry if this is harsh but we have nothing to do with political or boundary problem between Jordan and Israel so don't bring hatred to us if you people in middle east are butt-hurted among each other. I see most of people in Middle East, South Asia and Europe as the same, no difference in term of barbarity and narrow-mindedness though not in general. These people chop each other heads for difference as it is their right to kill each other. Those Arab speakers easily curse people with mal'unah (cursing) word, I know this because I mingle with them. Spirit and soul (morality) is not important that make people become insolent.
That guy said that people here in Malaysia, most of them are following something which is invented like the chant during the Taraweekh salaat service although they are very polite. I don't know what is his school of jurisprudence, but he seems more inclined to Hanbaliah as he praised the Medinah Imam which I posted some of his reminders here. I am a Hanbaliah myself in which he didn't expect me to be one and most of all I don't do what Syafi'iah Malay compatriots are doing. But, as to say, I would never talk like that to people before I check anything to the root.
I personally think that these kind of people don't have to talk like they know everything although they speak Arabic because I know not all people are well-versed in their own religion though they speak Arabic in their daily life. They don't even memorize the Nahwu and Sarf of Arabic Grammar, the hadiths and even Quran except for few parts maybe more than native Muslims here. They are just the same like people they curse, ta'assub (fanatic) without any knowledge.
Last time when I was a degree student, I was molested by a Jordanian guy who pretend to teach me religion while he don't realize that we are not converted 'muallaf' here. He has bad intention and I can sense that, he thought that I was a Kelantanese Malay or perhaps he thought that I was a Chinese. He has preference for Chinese boy face. What a crazy Old Jordanian Arab. Am I looking like a Chinese? Urr, sorry sikit I think I look more Indian-Nepalese than a Chinese though some of my sisters do look Chinese as what I use to call my sisters as Mongol face when we make jokes of each other, haha... But as to say, we Eastern people are quite polite and we avoid from humiliating people in front of others. I heard from my Thai counterparts and Malay friends too about that old Jordanian molesting them before they threatened him to kick his ass with their Muaythai and Taekwando. I hate people who use religion for their worldly desire and that always make me cautious with people around. I am not a total ignorant though I don't really look Arab. Our paternal ancestors from Yemen had previously came here to transmit the path of Allah to natives by royal decree. We just didn't know that since we do not live in comfort without any proper identity because of mixed background and nomadic family circumstances. Our elders never emphasize nor telling anything about lineages after few generations and some had lose out their title as it is not important. Is it so difficult to humble down ourselves before Allah?
Ibnu Jawzi says regarding his book: "I wrote a book clean from errors which happened in the Ihyaa' by retaining its special sense. I depend on the proves from the most valid and famous hadiths of all with their concrete and accurate meanings."
II. Kitab al-Hikam Ibn 'Athaillah
Lecture on Kitab al-Hikam Ibn 'Athaillah
(Series 1)
Ustad Wan Hizam 'Abdullah
(Lecturer in Penang Radio)
30th September 2011, Friday
20:00
USM Mosque
Al-Hikam is the plural of hikmah. It means "every word in which beneficial knowledge lies in it" or "beneficial knowledge materials" such as the science of Fiqh, Tawheed or Tasawwuf. Al-Hikam consists the compact essence of Tawheed and Tasawwuf sciences. I would translate it into English as wisdom but that is what scholars mean by the word wisdom.
Tasawwuf is a science which exposes on how to purify one self from hideous characteristics which is called as mazmumah characteristics and how to guard worship and acts from diseases in the heart such as arrogance, showing off, and feeling wondrous about one self when performing worship.
It is just a branch of science and human need combinations of sciences. Science or knowledge is boundless. It is not narrow like what we understood here in Malaysia when we talk about science. Because in Malaysia, when I was in form three, I understood science as biology, physics, and chemistry and those things were important in my view to determine us good life in the future. I think many people also think like that, and still I can see people who talk like that at me but I just smile and lazy to elaborate further, hehe... This country education system, what can I say, ahahaha.... Further more, we are no intelligent compared to those above and religious knowledge wouldn't bring us no where though we claim ourselves as a person with a religion... A person can be a lorry driver but science of life (religious knowledge) must be acquired by everyone, it is a common thing for everyone because we are going to need it in the life after this life : )
It is just a branch of science and human need combinations of sciences. Science or knowledge is boundless. It is not narrow like what we understood here in Malaysia when we talk about science. Because in Malaysia, when I was in form three, I understood science as biology, physics, and chemistry and those things were important in my view to determine us good life in the future. I think many people also think like that, and still I can see people who talk like that at me but I just smile and lazy to elaborate further, hehe... This country education system, what can I say, ahahaha.... Further more, we are no intelligent compared to those above and religious knowledge wouldn't bring us no where though we claim ourselves as a person with a religion... A person can be a lorry driver but science of life (religious knowledge) must be acquired by everyone, it is a common thing for everyone because we are going to need it in the life after this life : )
While Tawheed is closely related to the Islamic Creed. I would translate it as monotheism as to make it easier but don't look at it as equivalent in sense and meaning. Words have their own context and other sub-branches of knowledge in it to get the definition as they are also terminological according to the path. Other word for it is Oneness of the God in term of concept. I had read something from Nilam Puri material regarding the concept of divinity.
Tawheed is a branch of knowledge which introduce a servant to his or her Creator and making the servant closer to Him. There are 99 wisdom which cover the content of the book. Those wisdom talk about roots and the fact of science of Tawheed in which it leads people to the God the Most Highest.
Tawheed is a branch of knowledge which introduce a servant to his or her Creator and making the servant closer to Him. There are 99 wisdom which cover the content of the book. Those wisdom talk about roots and the fact of science of Tawheed in which it leads people to the God the Most Highest.
As far as I know this book is popular amongst people in some pondok or madrasah. It was translated into classical Malay in Arabic script too and the writer was an Egyptian. Pondok or madrasah is traditional kind of school for people in South East Asia getting education. In northern part of Malayan Peninsula, we call it as melele or menadsoh. Melele means temple school. It's not a Thai influenced word but northern Malay native word while menadsoh is Arabic corruption for madrasah.
However, I would like to advise myself and respective brethren that before we learn all of these, the basic thing we must have is the knowledge about Allah and His messenger, Muhammad s.a.w, Quran and later valid sunnah or prophetic traditions. Avoid from accusing each other, advise with manner. We are no holier than others, it is not-favorable to break the unity of the nation. We must try to bring everyone closer and bridge the gap through knowledge, not to divide everyone according to organizations and sects.
Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love, amin!
