Showing posts with label islamic thought. Show all posts
Showing posts with label islamic thought. Show all posts

Sunday, 16 September 2012

Science and Religion: Introduction and the Influence of Western Science

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

This is modern, haha
 
Reference Preface

My little room is quite dusty, maybe I need to do some cleaning chores. Was so busy with thesis refining until forgotten to check my room cleanliness. I've been reading to some Islamic books while doing researches for my thesis including of the Sharia. In relation to what had recently happened, I would just post the translation of this message from a humble ulama from Indonesia, Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah. In European continent and some parts of United States, the divinity sciences has been separated with the earthly ones but in Eastern world it is on the other hand different. We're not as extremist as some Europeans or those who think that they would be advanced if they put themselves in certain group or way of thinking because of the inferiority complex that they are facing. 

It's not Muslims or anyone to be blamed for their inferiority complex. It's their own fallacy and failure to know their self. This literature is not of mine, I'm just translating it roughly into English and adapting it so the ulama's message would reach the world. The source is from the magazine known as "Panji Masyarakat" or "Banner of the Society" around 1959-1961 published in Jakarta, Indonesia. I checked the stats and many people are reading the post about the absurd movie so I decided to play the responsibility as an unanimous person among world community to cure the situation around the world by propagating our ulamas' teachings and views from South East Asia. Thanks for spending some time at this humble site. Brothers and sisters around the world may use the source for research and the translator is me. Just put unanimous translator at your literature since this is polluted with my commentary, hehe. However, please don't forget to mention the real writer which is Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah as all credits only belong to the real writer. Hope it is useful to see how Muslim view the Life. I guess there should also be in Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Urdu and Chinese translations for this.

Introduction

In the history of man-kind, there are various waves that influencing his or her life. At certain point of life, he's influenced by the poetry. At some points of life, philosophy is influencing him. In the other point of life, religion and faith influencing him. The development of thought also going through stages as such; poetry, philosophy, religion and sciences. 

Before the era of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, the Greeks were influenced by the poetry especially those of Homerus. The Arab society in Arabian Peninsula during the age of spirituality ignorance were also influenced with the wave of poetry as such they also organized annual competitions in term of poetry. For the Malay nations, they were in fact influenced by poetry known as pantun, syair, gurindam and etc. Whatever being seen by a Malay since the wind blows, sea waves swashing about the beaches, mountains scratching the sky and other natural phenomenon were made parts of their poems. 

The Middle Ages were known as the era of religious wave whether in Europe or Western world or in the Eastern world which also includes Muslims, Jews, Oriental Christians, Hindus and other religious groups. Then, there were the era known as the era of science and technology in the 19th century. It is the time where the so-called "framed technology science" in its wave influencing people around the world.    

In the ancient time before the globalization of the world; The wave of the "science" is like the fire burning inside the bushes. There are countries or nations who are still influenced by the poetry, while other neighboring nations for example are influenced by the philosophy. In the same time, there are also those who are influenced by the religion. Since 19th century, the result of the science which researching the physical realm becomes more advanced. The relation of those who stays far away from the other could be closer. The world seems boundless with the development of communication technology such as radio, television, internet, youtube, blogs, websites, and others. So, the wave of "physical science and knowledge" that has influenced Europe since Renaissance period and 19th century is also covering the whole globe where the internet and other means of communication could reach the land.

Influence of Western Style Science

The influence of "physical and materialistic science" has covered the Western world namely Europe. The influence of religion decreases. It is still there just the influence is not as intense as in the Middle Ages. People are searching and desire for something which is "concrete". They do not prefer the "abstract" anymore. This wave is also reaching the Eastern world in Asia and other continents such as in Africa and America. The people who are influenced by this wave in Asia, Africa and America were influenced not due to their advancement in knowledge, but is because they are merely copycats. What kind of persons are these copycats? As what I understood, they are those who takes others style and the reason they do it is just to look good and they wanted to look as good as Europeans. This has to do with the self-confidence as they think they are ugly if they copy others style. These obnoxious individuals are also in academics field today or at least trying to claim academician title for themselves. Ibnu Khaldun who were a famous Muslim sociologist has said: "Loser nations would be addicted to imitate those who wins". This is what happened for e.g in the production of a cheap movie does not matter if the producer is of any faith, belief or ideology.

The weakness of religious influence and the shining of "physical and materialistic science" in the European continent was the reasonable result of the "science" which has risen since it was in 17th century. Researches, analysis, empiricism, continuation between these possibilities to those possibilities, interrelating the reasons and impacts, fallacies in theories and experiments being developed time by time that brings to the preferable or satisfying results were generically made up as "science". These were made structures for scientific opinions, belief and arguments. This is what many of us even in our country understood as "science". Those who rejected this nowadays being cast out of the system and left aside just like what happened to myself or perhaps many other "madrasah" oriented young people : ) 

After this development in Europe, most of them believed that it is not favorable to merely following what has been inherited to them by their ancestors. The quotes inherited from Socrates, Plato or Aristotle could not be accepted before being experimented or tested. This also includes the words of divine scriptures and orders from the Church must undergo the experiment and researches in laboratory.   

Through these ways, they had produced not only hundreds but thousands new opinions to be practiced and enjoyed in their daily life. These opinions and arguments become the structure for "modern" Europe today and it also amazes those loser individuals who can't produced their own or even comparable science of their own. When looking at the concrete results of their inventions, some people takes their hats off the Europeans' science and they become less respective to religion and its sciences become sunken under the Europeans' materialistic sciences. Faith in the God and His messengers and chosen sages only promising the hereafter paradise in form of uncertain prophecies. While Western sciences has produced paradise in the current life. Radio, TV entertainments, phones, cars, planes, electricity, air conditioner and many more has turned the attention of man-kind from the Heaven to the Earth. People are giving their attention to the "science and technology" and not to hermits, monks, religious teachers or ascetics anymore. They believe and paying attention to the life which is now. The hereafter and resurrection are something which never been experienced by them and could not concretely being seen with man-kind physical eyes.

When the time passing, people becoming more excited to drag even metaphysical stuffs into their so-called "science". Although religious knowledge or science is not their specific field and task but they still to make it "scientific" according to their way. The hereafter matters according to them has no "scientific" proves. Paradise and hell-torments are persuasion and threats only for those who still has no knowledge, ignorant, marginalized and no scholar.

More shattering the faith of these people toward religion is after the rise of Nicholas Copernicus study about the solar system. Before this, Europeans have a belief which could not be contested that the Earth is the center of the Universe. While the Sun, the Moon and stars were circulating around the Earth. Stars were created for the benefit of man-kind and Earth is for the human's interest. The whole universe was under the rule of human and man-kind were the most noble beings in the whole system. Copernicus had strongly demolished this belief system through his studies and research questions. He said that the Earth is like a tiny particle of dust among zillions of stars in the universe. The Earth circulating around the Sun and not otherwise. Other than that, there are many other stars which is more huge as compared to the Earth. Man-kind are nothing to be compared to other realms which are wider and huge. My comment about astrology studies in Europe, the primitive Chaldean of Babylon in the early Mesopotamian civilizations and ancient Yemeni Arabs who revered the Sun and stars had already know about this though they were not baptized into Christianity or any other "celestial" religion nor living in Renaissance age of Europe. Even this knowledge were wide spread as far as to Indus civilization as we could see in the Navagraham system of Hindus' astrology. After reviewing the studies of Copernicus, Roman Catholic Christian clerics in the 14th C Europe were so furious. They were furious as the authority of humanity were lowered.

After Copernicus, there was Charles Darwin who had introduced the Theory of Evolution. He theorized that beings were created according to well-arranged stages and it took millions of years for being evolve from the imperfect ones to the more perfect ones. Beings evolved from the lowest to intermediate ones and later reaching human form stage. Beings started to evolve from microorganism, plants, insects to animals. The highest of animals' advancement was when they evolved to be primates or apes. From primates, the beings starting to evolve to be human in its form. My personal comment about this naturalist theory, it is choppy. It is still a "theory" to also be considered as a belief or creed and could be developed or repaired if other better arguments could come up to counter this existing theory. I was once bounded to Buddhism belief and practices before Allah moved my heart to return to my ancestral religion, Islam. I believed in reincarnation of beings in the different physical forms such as insects, animals, human, angels or demon. Gautama Buddha has taught this thousands of years earlier than Copernicus and I think Gautama Buddha was more sophisticated and clear in his view or "theories" about "beings" as compared to Darwin as he's not only talking about the physical beings but also without leaving behind metaphysical stuffs. According to Buddhism and Hinduism theories of acts' law, beings regardless animals, angels, demons or man-kind are subjects to the fruits of their acts and thoughts. However the form which is auspicious to achieve 'peaceful blast' according to Buddhism is in human-form and it is the most difficult form to be achieved since it took thousands of years to be incarnated as human.

The portal which was opened by Copernicus was extended in its opening with Darwin who over lays a further views about the universe. Europeans began to experience changing in their world view and the way they look at human-being becomes different as before. Their pure and innocent views about the universe were transformed to mechanical views as they learned about the theories and findings such as proposed by Darwin and Copernicus. Their view is now about the survival is the fittest. Those who are weak will eventually be eliminated. It further leads them to the belief that the Universe has no Creator. Universe is creating itself and thus it leads to Atheism. The Europeans were not inventing anything new. They were just repeating the same thing which happens thousand years before them in many parts of the Earth. In the age of spiritual ignorance, the polytheist Arabs in the Holy City, Mecca were oppressing those who were weak. Those who were unfortunate were enslaved by those who are more strong. Women were looked down like a toy to be used as what happened in sex-maniac movies in nowadays Western style movies. Women also looked them selves as sex-slaves to men. Nowadays, this kind of view is still in existence be they in secular or religious society. There is no difference at all, just the grouping and classification of their groups is different : )

Church organizations in Europe at that time became more enraged. The view that most of man-kind have now to be classified as modern is opposing to the view that human are noble beings that they hold for so long. After astrology and natural theory studies, there were studies on geology in Europe. They researched the Earth and its contents. The inquired on how the Earth tried to be separated from the Sun. Then they researched the beings known as the biology. They researched the beginning on how the beings started to develop. Then, other researches developed out of the one existed. All of these inquiries had also affected the view of people about religion and affected the influence of religious leaders. These researches in Europe had also influenced how they interpret the meanings of the Bible at least for those who still wanted to have faith in the God.   

Out of the Context

Last night I went out with a friend to Setapak. We talked until 3:00 in the morning and I get some ideas about life-planning after this. I also asked him few questions about LGBT groups which is now a hot stuff in our country and he has few LGBT friends and acquaintance. I just feel not comfortable to judge others and before making up my mind I would make all sorts of inquiries. So, I always ask people who know more about the issue or at least asking them to show me the place where I can get the needed information. It is important for sharia students as contemporary issues are among the problem of ummat. That is why I was late in updating this post though I am excited to check this work.

Thankful to Allah he does not forget me though he is busy with his newly found job. We just went to Japanese restaurant but I can't have seafood. So I just ordered green tea and non-vegetarian Soba noodle. It is also not recommended to take meat but it comes with package so I just accept it. Well, it was his treat so again I'm thankful and not wasting it. As long as he does not say that it is a kind of alms giving I'll accept it. These weeks to come is actually our high holy days so there are limits to everything. We share some points of holy days with the Jews especially those related to Yawm al-Qiyamat (the Resurrection Day). This is not a binding law for other Muslim brothers and sisters but only to us as we have to accept the life of poor ascetics and praying for other brothers and sisters well-being. Insha Allah if He gives me the opportunity I would update the post about this ulama's view on the science and religion. I'm going to make some milk for my father. Poor he is, he still can't swallow anything. Brothers and sisters, please take good care of your health. It's vital for us to perform worship to Allah...

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

Friday, 18 November 2011

Maqasid Shariah: Definitions

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Pao Gong, a justice figure of China's Song dynasty who serves the court during the reign of emperor Renzong

Once again we are in Yom al-Jumu'ah which is the day we congregate together as brothers and sisters. The sermon delivered in the masjid today is once again about Shariah Islamiah. After my first part thesis being rejected over and over and considering that I have to do it once again after few times struggling, I think that I hate human idealism. This human idealism that I am studying is making me far from my Beloved One!!! 

I regret that I could only get C in my Shariah paper recognition for STPM (A-Level). I just learned it in a framed one year after returning from pilgrimage in holy Mecca where I've got His guidance while it needs me two years for basic understanding. Last time, I had escaped Thanawi papers because I didn't believe in Islam as I had misunderstanding regarding society and the religion though I know about basic principles and memorized things. I learned both Islamic studies and Hindu-Buddhism sastras in the same time but I just practiced Buddhism rituals while I was alone. If I could not be a Qadhi in the future, perhaps I could still be a transmitter of Shariah sciences as apart of my Qurbana (sacrifice) for Him. It's not for myself but only for Him. It's all my fault because I was not patient. Please forgive me dear Good Lord, please don't hate me : (

Coincidentally, the sermon today also talked about the weaknesses of human idealism as compared to Revelation from the God according to our nature. I lament it in myself while returning to my room because I am not a believer of Western idealism nor feeling amazed at their values. I can't even use anything from Revelation in my research which could harmonize and purify, at least my own mind if not useful for others.

Let us continue on few other definitions of maqasid shariah...

Definitions of Maqasid Shariah

Contemporary scholars such as al-Imam al-Shatibi who is synonymous with maqasid science never provide specific definitions for the term maqasid shariah or objective of the way. It is because he thought that everyone understood the concept and the term itself.  

Definition of Ibnu Ashoor for Maqasid 

Ibnu Ashoor has defined maqasid as: "referring to every understanding which could be seen at legislation that had been provided through Revelation as a whole as parts of it." It means that maqasid does not really defined with the specific meaning of observation for the legislation. It refers to these examples such as bringing benefits, rejecting evil and crimes, and there lies the concept of equality among human-being in every prescription of the legislation in the Way.

Ibnu Ashoor had divided maqasid into general maqasid and specific maqasid...

i. General Maqasid

It has been seen in obligatory legislation which generally involves individual.

ii. Specific Maqasid 

It refers to methods used in Shariah to brings public necessities into realization through individuals' acts. For example, the legislation on the act of recording debt negotiations in financial area.

Definition of Maqasid by I'lal al-Fasi

He defines maqasid as: "The goal of Shariah and the secrets of the legislation for every judgement in Islam." Al-Fasi has also divided this into two which are the general and specific objectives. The general objective refers to the goal of Shariah while the specific objective is referring to the secrets of the legislation.

The definition however was criticized by Dr. Iwad bin Muhammad al-Qarni. He criticizes that the definition by saying that the usage of the word "secret" is not suitable because the word does not representing maqasid in an absolute way. Sometimes secret could be an objective while in certain times secrets are not objectives for something.  

Definition by Ahmad al-Raysuni

Maqasid refers to goals of the Way which everyone is striving to achieve for the benefit of human nations. Al-Raysuni had divided objectives more discreetly compared to the above definition setters. He divided it into three which are the general objective, specific objective, and branches objective.

i. General Objective

Objective which is taken into account through the light of the Way in order to decide on all or the majority of legislation of Shariah. For example, the concept of al-Musawah (equality) which exists in all of the Shariah legislation.

ii. Specific Objective

It has been taken into account by the Way in order to decide on something or few groups of specific legislation. For example, legislation related to family and matrimonial.

iii. Branches Objective

It is taken into account by the Way in order to decide over specific legislation such as the legislation decision on matrimonial as a tradition. 

Further Discussion on Definitions

What had been discussed in the science of the origin of jurisprudence and the objective science is concerning the general objective. Specific objective became the topic of discussion by the legislators and jurists of the Way (Shariah).

Among those definitions proposed by scholars, al-Raysuni's one is considered as compact, precise, and covering over the concept of maqasid (objective) after being analyzed by today's scholars.

Conclusion of Definition

Maqasid (objective) of Shariah are the goals which is deemed by the Shariah to be achieved for the benefit of human civilization and society. 

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

Friday, 28 October 2011

Maqasid Shariah : The Objective of Shariah

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah


A very good and blessed Friday. We recite salawat to our beloved and noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w, the messenger and the servant of the God. Friday sermon delivered by Ustad Zayd Zahari in Islamic Center today is quite interesting. Besides I love to listen to Ustad Zayd Quranic recitation. I wanted to talk with him but I don't know, I feel shy. Macam budak-budak pulak, hahaha...

He talked about this matter called as maqasid shar'iyyah. I have no time to email to ustad Zayd but I wish to have a copy of the sermon that he delivered. It is very good in order to clarify what is shariah to some brick-head people who just lazy to read books about Islam written by a believer Muslim. Of course a believer Muslim is a Muslim who understand his religion and not because he follow anyone like his dad, his mum, his elders and people around. I don't care about non-Muslim view about this but first we Muslim ourselves must be clear on what is actually shariah? When we talk about shariah, we have this image in our mind about punishment to people or crime and some people would take this as something which could be attacked sesuka hati tuk nyang depa! I would write anything that I could still remember. My head is now so full, mannnnn!

My Opinion Before We Begin

Islam is a message of the God to the universe and it actually had began since the time of sage Adam a.s was taught with nouns. Who is sage Adam a.s? He is the forefather of all human-being who possess mind, emotion, feeling and being granted with civilization. So, human religion does not begin since Moses a.s or Jesus a.s or Muhammad s.a.w. I sometimes feel weird when looking at some non-Muslims' way of thinking, I don't know whether they are Christians or not but because we don't simply judge people by their religion but they keep talking in inconsistencies. I believe these kind of people are Western Protestant Christian pastors. I don't even hate any Jew or Christian and I found that many Western Christians especially those rednecks living in farms are quite hater to others and ignorant! I made friend with other Asian Christians especially of Catholicism and some Middle East Christians of Orthodox patriarchal lines. We do not hate each other and hating-racist culture or ideas come from the West. I always support my Christian friends especially those devout ones. Stop spreading those diseases from the West to Asia! 

Sometimes they talk about Arabs or Muslims (as Islam is the same entity of Arab like what they perceive to Christianity as their 'daddy's' handmade) trying to dominate the world, then later when we tell them that there are 100% Bedouin Arabs of Ghassan branch who are of Byzantine Orthodox Church under the Roman empire or Lakhmid Arabs who still exist under Nestorian churches since before the rise of Muhammad s.a.w, they would say they are glad that there are Arabs who resists the pressure of Islam. They would try to do all sort of thing for Muslim to leave their religion. When they leave their religion what those people who suggest apostacy can give to them? Mountain of gold? Food for the people who leave their religion until they die? Saving them from torments in hereafter if it is a common belief in other religion about hereafter? If he can help others, can he show people that he could also save himself from torments and sufferings? If zillions of people become apostates of their religion and choosing your religion because you offer them something, will you be able to cater everyone with their needs as the "change" for their "faith"? What for quantities if people who claim themselves in documents or just because being offered by something are not sincere because of the God but because of their belly, their desire, their comfort. In the end, the real god for them are their belly, their desire, their comfort, etc...

Don't they read the Judaism 13 articles of faith concluded by Musa bin Maimun which is a Judaism teacher about the path that the God teach human-being never change? Sure they don't read it because they are Christians who zealously "following" the Christ and that is what they are called as... Christians... Later they call us Muslims as Mohamedans like our concept of how we view the God is the same like them. Our God is not Muhammad s.a.w... Muhammad s.a.w is a sage, a teacher, a messenger of the God like his brothers in soul such as Moses, like Jesus a.s, like Noah a.s, like Abraham a.s. We worship only the God...! We do not need Trinity nor anything taught by Church Fathers with the regard on dogma and creed and we don't need those teachings in Protestantism or Catholicism which has been around longer than Protestantism to have faith in Jesus Christ. We believe and have faith in Jesus a.s and those who are mentioned by the God in glorious Quran. We love all of prophets and messengers of the God no matter Muhammad s.a.w, Moses a.s, Jesus a.s, Noah a.s, Abraham a.s, Ismael a.s, Isaac a.s all equally. We have our own sciences about the creed and faith and we have our own scholars.

I memorized the articles of Jew faith perfectly in both Hebrew and Arabic and one of it says that : "the God will never exchange or alter His law for any other for all eternity."

Is it hard to understand that celestial revelation does not come in certain period or being known to the person who transmit it in this sense like Western understanding when they call Muslims as Mohammedans or Christians for those who follow the teachings which flows from Jesus Christ. Revelation as a sign of His Mercy toward the universe will descend each time when human-being fallen into the darkness or human-being simply love to play ignorant? Why when you (Western Christians) talk, you have to use religion as the shield to protect your attachment toward worldly desire? Don't lie to people around because the God knows what is hidden in ones' heart. Don't also assume that the God is STUPID! 

This kind of people according to the pillars of morality is considered as polytheists no matter how they claim that they are worshiping the Supreme Authority! So, what had been said by the God is true... They hated Him but His Words will never be eliminated by these flies. This universe is under His supervision and not under those hypocrites. Their heart is filthy with polytheism. If people hate the God, then say so, no need to use the pretext of this nation or that nation or this religion or that religion. If they wanted to dominate others, don't accuse it on others like throwing stones to others while others are not looking and then hiding the hand.

When the soul of prophet Muhammad s.a.w being raised by the God, we have the Quran and the prophetic tradition. We know our goal of life in which the purest goal of life is to see the God. We do not consider this earth as our possession. When I was a Buddhist, I also believed the same thing. I am not I am or what is concluded in Anatta and Sunyata concept. Nothing in my physical body is true and everything around me is fake. When I wanted to die and performing some difficult tapas (meditation) according to Hindu-Buddhist ways I believe that I could transfer my soul into a better place than this physical body because it is fake. There are some Buddhists of Lao descents who live in the U.S Long Island, usually they are rich people who ran from revolution in their country and they live like the average Americans and sometimes visiting Thailand to boast around. They keep throwing racist stuffs to Chinese people in Bangkok or Muslim Malays in Southern Thailand and when I talked about Anatta and Sunyata concept, they just keep their silence. So, it means that people sometimes know about the stuffs but they never practice whatever had been taught but they claim themselves as this and that. Later they try to ban others without they first understand the essence of the teaching that they claimed to follow.  

Through deductive and inductive analysis on Islamic Shari'a sources, it confirms that the goal and intention of shariah is to attract benefit and goodness for human-being and environment. It is rejecting harms from human-being toward environment. All of law provisions under the shariah jurisprudence shelter under the concept of the guarantee for human-being and environment benefits. It is not only the benefit of the world but also the hereafter.     

Al-'Iz bin Abdul Salam in his book Qawaid al-Ahkam fi Masalih al-Anam vol. 1 page 9 said that Islam (path) is for benefits. It is either bringing benefit or avoiding harm. The sermon that we just heard from Islamic Center defines on the meaning of maqasid or the goal and its position. It tries to elaborate in the most comprehensive and easiest way on various categories of goals according to variety of perspectives, benefits of understanding what is the goal and how to recognize the goal. And then to evaluate the goal on how important is the goal of shariah in the evaluation of certain decision made.  

Introduction to the Concept of Maqasid

What is the definition of maqasid? 

According to Ahmad al-Raysuni in the View of the Goal by Imam al-Shatiby (1992, p.g 13) : "Maqasid means the goal, the objective or the purpose which we wanted to achieve in doing something. In this context, the objective which is placed by the path in molding the provisions. Among popular terms used for this maqasid shariah, maqasid shari' Allah (the objective the God's path), maqasid shari'iyyah."

There are many definitions brought upon by the scholars of the origin of understanding about the goal or the objective of shariah. Classical scholars never propose any specific definition for the goal. Al-Shatibi who was the apprentice of the objective branch of knowledge also never provide any specific definition. But it does not mean that they had neglected the objective or the goal of certain provisions in the law.

There are many views regarding the objective in their scholarly works. We could also see various classical scholars' views which forms the elements of contemporary scholars preceding them. What is certain is that the values of objective in the path is consisted in the al-Quran and prophetic traditions.

Some of scholars assume that the objective signifies the benefits, whether it attracts benefit or it rejects the demolition of human civilization. Ibnu Qayyim al-Jawziyyah emphasized that shariah is based on wisdom and benefit for human civilization in the world and benefit them in the hereafter. The changes in jurisprudence and law could also take place according to period of time and place since it is flexible according to human-nature, cultural background and environment. It guarantees the benefit of human-being as a whole.

Some scholars define the objective as the matters which avoid harms toward human-being and environment. The jurist I'yad said that : "providing provisions within the framework of the path of the God is obligatory." Some characterize the objective as a way to avoid trouble for society. It was mentioned by Ibnu al-'Arabi with his statement : "There is no burden on someone if he is not capable of it." 

Some had understood the objective of shariah with five basic principles of Islam. Islam (the path of the God) is to protect :   

1. religion
2. soul and life
3. mind
4. pedigree
5. property

In other angle, there are also classical scholars who view the objective as the logic to be integrated as apart of the decision in making the judgement in the court. Contemporary scholars such as Imam al-Shatibi who are famous in the science of the objective never propose any specific definition for the term of the objective or maqasid. He perhaps assumed that everybody understood the term.  Try to compare them with principles of Civil Law and the whole process in Civil Law instead of attacking something which we don't really understand at because we are not even lawyers to begin with, lol....

This gonna take long because we learn about Civil Law or Common Law for racist Western society and their religion (whatever ideologies they proposed are their religions) for about 4 years to be a practical chambering lawyers or attorneys while we read something in the surface about Shariah and assume ourselves as professionally a Law attorney to criticize this and that, hahaha....

will be continued, inshaallah...

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

Pilgrimage : The Journey

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah


I am not a poetic or creative person nor I am talented in poetry because I only know how to read people's poem, haha. Poem in this post was written by Ibnu Qayyim al-Jawziyya about Hajj season in the Holy Mecca. Its original language is Arabic and this is its translation in English. 

Translation as always is not equal to the text due to different languages development, time period, and it is only to tell what is the meaning and message behind the text. Modern English began to develop from Anglo-Saxon language in 6th century while Arabic does not really change. It developed earlier than modern English. There is another discipline for translation and interpretation although many people would look at our course just as a side course which has no importance since everyone can do it as a part time job. I'm helping translation and interpretation lecturers promoting the course. Jangan marah saya lagi na Dr. Lee and Pak Din. You people just misunderstood me because I was said as influencing my colleague to go against you. I am not really naughty. I don't know why people always looking at me with prejudice and judging me simply because I mingled with 'unfortunate' or 'despicable' people like me : ) Usually people will misunderstood us when we try to return to Him... This is the world.

Basically, this is how we perform hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, reviving the Path of our patriarch Abraham may the God send peace to him and his family. Wish brethren enjoy the poem while mentally and physically preparing to perform hajj pilgrimage. I wish your sincere pilgrimage will be accepted by the God, may He permits it.... 

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