Curing the Heart: 'Uzlah

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

A very blessed Friday. I just read some portions of the small treatise by Muhammad Afif bin Yahya of Perlis. I don't put his name like al-Barlisi because it is not a necessity. I am aware that Perlis king is a Sayyid of Southern Arabia descent but I don't really like everything to be Arabized. If people wanted to be affiliated with the native place, then just use the native name without the Arabic al- article. The title is coincidentally the same with another old book but the treatise is much simpler in modern Malay.

What does 'uzlah means? It simply means separating ourselves from the society. This is what low-self integration means if people looking it through modern psychological studies. A brother in musalla in our previous semesters had encouraged to me to join people. He was not wrong that I was not friendly. Yea, I know I wasn't friendly but I was practicing the sunnah of prophet Muhammad s.a.w and prophet Abraham a.s. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w had performed 'uzlah before the prophethood seal and Revelation reached him in the Hiraa' cave in Holy Mecca. I now would like to know how brothers and sisters view on sunnah? Is it just from what has been written only in Hadiths or from the whole traditions in the Holy Quran, the Hadiths, from the History of Prophethood, from the Morality of Prophet, and from the Qisaas al-Anbiyaa (prophets' narrations)? No need to answer here. Just answer it with our selves.

Brief Story about 'Uzlah

The more extensive meaning of 'uzlah is no empty chit chatting and keeping the silence while with the people around. Says Imam al-Ghazali rahimahullah: "Apart of the obstructions for us to perform worship to Allah are creatures. Most of fellow creatures will make us turn away from worship and instill confusion in our heart. It is like in the narrations of a scholar where there were a group of men practicing archery. Among this group of men, one of them sitting alone far from his 'friends'. He then approached the guy to talk with him. But the guy said, it is better for you to remember Allah rather than talking with me. Then he asked the guy, but you are alone and separated from your friends! He answered, no... I am not alone! I am with my Lord. There are two angels accompanying me at my left and right sides. The scholar further asked: "Who will eventually win among them? He said, those who were forgiven by the Lord. He then asked the guy, where is the way to reach that? The guy pointed his fingers showing the Heaven. Then the guy stand up from his sitting and walking while saying, dear Lord, most of creatures are making me turning away from You!"  

Regarding Talking too Much and Speech

Says Umar al-Khattab radi Allahu 'anhu: "Whoever laugh a lot, his authority and prestige will be less. Whoever looking at other fellow human as unimportant, thus he will receive insults.Whoever that is so into something, he will be known as a specialist. Whoever talks a lot, he will have more faults. Whoever have many faults and errors, he will be a person who has less shameful feeling. Whoever with less shameful feeling will have less obedience to Allah. A person with less obedience to Allah will a have a dead heart." 

A person who talks to much will be exposed to errors and flaws

Says our noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w: "Indeed, in the Resurrection Day, a person who has the heaviest sin is a person who says a lot of feckless words which never benefit him." (Narrated by Ibnu Nasar)

This part remind me of my previous lessons that I had learned in the Eight Middle Path taught by lord Buddha Gautama and I could clearly remember this since I wake up at four in the morning after taking bath without anyone notice me when I was 15 years old and recite everything that I memorized in Bali and Malay also performing prostrations while imagining emptiness in my mind. It's in the middle part of the three parts of chediya (pagoda) diagram known as seela (ethics) and I recited it as samma wacha which means right speech. This one is also mentioned by lord Buddha in Panchasila when he advised Muchalinda Naga who was a dragon/cobra snake incarnation and it sounds in Bali like musawada werramanni sikhapadam samaadiyaami which means I undertake the precept to refuse from false speech. Further, Gautama Buddha was also known as Sakya Munni. It means a person who keeps his silence and observe from the Sakya tribe. Today, people only translate Munni as a "little, clan, tribal" prophet but the real meaning is a person who keeps his silence.  

Wisdom of Silence

Reported by Anas may Allah be pleased with him: "Prophet Muhammad s.a.w says: 'Silence is a Wisdom and a Virtue. Only a minority of people are capable to do that."

Says Abul Qasim al-Qushayri: "Silence whenever is necessary is a noble thing. Muhammad s.a.w has taught people to guard their words and making one self familiar with silence if it brings benefit. Silence when it is not necessary to be silent is a disgraceful thing. For example keeping the silence when something is wrong and refrain to tell the truth. This kind of silent person is known as a "mute demon"." 

Over-Socializing

I don't think that I am lack of socializing in term of speaking. Yea, sometimes I have problem to speak with people but that is because I am thinking which level should I suit the counter-speakers level of speech. I guess I am just a secretive person and I don't like to be revealed to a multitude of people. Less people know me, then my attention could be directed easily to the people that I know. I don't like people to see my practices or my religious rituals because it makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't think like majority of people and yes my head is a bit complex. 

Some people said I am not an easy person to be read because I would react differently from what people expected to react. I love to talk with people but if I see there is no use for me to talk I would just keep my silence and keeping my distance. Most of all I can talk like normal people according to level. I even could talk about things which are not-related to religious talk if a person feels not comfortable with it like in the case of my ex-colleague, Amir. 

If a kid talking to me, then I will treat a kid like a kid but still with respect. If an elderly talk to me, I will treat him like and elder person. I treat everyone equally but sometimes it is also according to the level of their thought and thinking. Not based on physical body because a person with a big body does not mean that he or she thinks like a grown up man or woman. I don't normally show my emotion to people. I was taught to keep my patience until it is unbearable then maybe the emotion would burst out but it is a rare case. I only burst out like angry when I was 15 at that time I was at religious secondary school where my classmates trying to bully me because they always see me alone and different from others who would be dying to join them. Maybe they thought I was an easy prey but it ends up that I almost hit their head with science class apparatus but before the stuff hit their head I get my consciousness and I just put the thing down and walk away. This is why I always feel sympathy to those kids who are bullied in school or madrasah. This experience is just rampant and everywhere. It happens to others also. I just put it here to make it easier to apply in everyday life by other brothers and sisters. 

Regarding over-socializing, scholars of Islam mentions that it will bring chronic diseases and the root of disasters and evil. Sometimes it grabs away the grace that already possessed by one self. It brings enmity and hatred sunken in the heart will cause physical diseases. These makes the "heart and soul" become rotten and careless in remembering Allah.

Says a scholar: "Indeed words in the heart are constructed by the speech and made by tongue articulation".

Says Muhammad s.a.w: "Those who have faith in the God and the Hereafter, thus they only speak good things or else they would keep their silence".  

Muhammad s.a.w further says: "You will be in peace as long as you keep your silence. But when you begin to speak, your speeches will be recorded whether it is good speeches or evil speeches."    

Anas bin Malik radi Allahu 'anhu says: "Act with noble morality and keep your silence as possible as you can. By the One who holds my soul, a person who decorates himself or herself with these are among beautiful people". 

Ibrahim bin Adham also says: "I made friends with ascetic at the mountainous area in Lebanon. They advised me when I am about to enter the society with four advices which are 1) who eats a lot will never feel the sweetness and the grace of worship 2) whoever sleep a lot will never receive blessings of life 3) whoever hoping for the pleasure of human, will have any hope on Lord's pleasure 4) whoever talks too much on less beneficial things will receive evil endings and becomes an apostate."  

I wish that the Lord is pleased with brothers and sisters in faith and wishing that He helps us to be obedient and grateful slaves and servants may He be pleased with everyone.

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

Cure for the Heart: Second Section on Ears

In the Name of Allah the Most Compassionate the Most Merciful

www.geocities.jp

Behold that there are few benefits of the creation of ears on you whether it is worldly in nature or for the hereafter, dear human!

Worldly Benefits of Ears' Examples

1. Listening to words and sounds

2. Through listening to words, human comes to comprehension

3. Human would be responsive to words

Hereafter Benefits of the Ears' Examples

1. Listening to Quran and Hadiths of prophet Muhammad s.a.w

2. Listening to any beneficial lessons which could lead everyone toward Him

Listening is more favorable than looking at something due to that the benefits of the hereafter of listening is much larger than the looking at something. Most of the benefits that the eyesight gives human are of the worldly benefits. Thus, you will find that those who are blind are more perfect compared to those who are deaf. The beginning of being grateful to the Lord on the grace of listening is through avoiding from what the Lord forbids us to listen. 

What are examples on what He forbids us to listen? 

1. Slanders

2. Gossips

3. Listening to young women voice and the same goes to women listening to young men to avoid slanders

4. Listening to pointless debates and arguments

5. Listening to musical instruments which are forbidden due to that they may cause carelessness in worship for example listening to flute and other instruments (refer to sunnah and slowly changing don't be too drastic)

6. Listening to words which consist sinful remarks and worthless because they may cause doubts in the heart

Words that we listen are like food. Some are nutritional and some are harmful for health like junk foods though they taste nice. Some words could also be antidote for diseases just like few types of spices. Words would leave marks in the heart longer than the food stays in the stomach. Food would just disappear, digested and absorbed by body system such as intestines through human daily activities like sleeping and etc. If there are some leftover undigested food, we could still get some laxatives to digest them. However, word being cast in the heart are different. Sometimes they would remain there the whole life of the listeners. If those words fallen in the heart of the listeners are evil words, they would always cause doubts, slanders, and even worse larger destruction.

So, a sane person must be very careful and protect his or her body parts before being questioned and investigated in the hereafter during the Resurrection as what has been mentioned by the Lord:   

"Indeed the listening and the eyesight and the heart will be questioned in the Resurrection!" (Surah al-Israa' verse 36)

Dear Allah my beloved Lord, please protect my body parts. They are not mine but Yours. I don't have anything here even my soul is Your belongings. Please lead me into the light but banish darkness in me and around, dear Lord. Protect brothers and sisters in faith, and forgive us our sins.Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Weekly Quran Revision 13th Jan 2012

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Muqaddam

al-Ikhlaas

al-Falaq

an-Naas

al-Kaafirun

an-Nasr

al-Masad

Quraish

al-Maa'un

al-Kawthar

al-'Asr

al-Humazah

al-Feel

al-Qaari'ah

at-Takaathur

al-Zalzalah

al-'Aadiyat

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

Love to the God Love Everyone - Huda

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Special thanks to video maker myiera04 and singers 

While trying to finish up the assignment about European Language Issue and Policy, I listened to the song by Huda sisters. Feel quite tensed and trying to recite some verses to speak with Him too. The song is in Malay and titled Sayang-Sayang which means Love. It's basically the advice for children to love everyone. I can't remember when did I first listen to this, hahaha. Last time, I feel nothing when listening to this. But when I am pressured like this I only rewind everything in my mind.

The lyrics more or less says... 

Love the God, love the prophet... Love father, love mother... Love the God, love the prophet, love the father and mother, dear the God.

Let us little brothers and sisters listen to this advise. Check on our attitude don't be arrogant. Purify our selves, purify our soul. Follow the the order of the God and leave His prohibitions. Let us love the God, let us love the prophet.

The good morality is the morality of the prophet. Hardworking and fast in assisting others, working hard to get knowledge. Always giving to others signifies generosity. That is the tradition of the prophet, the most appraised. Love the God, love the prophet.  

Dear little brothers little sisters, keep in your memory father's contribution to us. Respect him, it signifies love to him. His sacrifice is so big. He finds sustenance to let us grow up.

Dear little brothers little sisters, remember to love mother. She bears us with love, educate without feeling bored nor exhausted. Her face is still cheerful. Go to mother give her a hug, that signifies love. Love the God, love the prophet.

Let us love each other. Love our family, love our neighbors. Among families love neighbors. Love the teachers, love the friends. Love your country, love everyone. Love the God, love the prophet. 

Too bad I was not growing up in this kind of situation of Love. My schoolmates were hostile and cold to me too just because I didn't get along well with them due to some differences. Urmm, they didn't actually accept me. Teachers just know how to condemn and humiliate. But not trying to find approaches to help problematic kids. This is not to condemn teaching profession because it is a respected profession but as a self reflect so that teachers could also improve their methods of teaching and psychological approach. Do I care about those kids and teachers who treated me badly last time now???? No, I care nothing... hahaha. I don't even remember their names if I could only remember the tortures that they had cast over me.

Just telling people on what happened 13-15 years ago in our educational institutions. This is not including what happened in primary school. It is terrible... I can't even imagine myself returning to schooling times. It's like returning to hell even when I try to reckon what happened. I can't even find any nice memory at all while I was a primary school student or secondary school student. I'm sure same things happen everywhere in this world. Not unique here but people like us no matter whether the kids were bullied by others, receiving hatred remarks from others, being looked down upon, and others are isolated. Some might commit suicide, or end up as thugs.

However, I wish and pray to Him may future generations of brothers and sisters could receive His Love and Mercy. Just don't be like us the older generations, treat everybody and among yourselves nicely. That's just our fate and we have to bear with it :') People might think I am a retard listening to children's song, hahaha. Who cares... I'm already a retard since long. Even more bad I have to work hard to hide my retarded characters because society were judgmental, full of negative criticisms. This is the period of negativity I guess.

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

Cure for Heart: Introduction

In the Name of the God the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Ali bin Abi Talib k.w had also displayed almost the same state like this character when a Jew spit at his face during a battle in Khaibar. Please avoid cursing the Jew, we do not know what happened to him after he spit at Ali k.w face.

 

I present brethren this introduction chapter and the book which I had read during my heart is filled with sorrow and misery with the Divine Mercy of the Lord through the Light of Revelation and Prophetic Traditions may He Guides everyone into His pleasure. I am actually sickened when I checked political video posts and comments but we need to maintain patience. I have no choice but to be in this torture seeing them while doing my assignments and thesis. There are many slanders in the net and we need to also be very careful with our words not to affect our thinking and mental state with those sick people thoughts. 

This book entitled the "Cure for the Heart." It was edited by Sheikh 'Abdul Qadir bin 'Abdul Mutallib of Indonesia in the holy city, Mecca in Rajab of 1378 H. The copy that I have with me is in Classical Malay written in Arabic script, published by Sahabat Press of Phang-Nga Street, Yala Province, Southern Thailand region. I bought it in Baling district during a visit to pay respect for my respective brothers and sisters in faith and paying respect to the God at the district mosque. 

I do not know whether there are already translations for this part in English, Arabic, Persian, Japanese or Chinese and this book was collected on its lessons by a South East Asian Muslim. Since I was a translation student majoring in both Malay and English and I feel bored looking at the monitor for this boring thesis. I am doing a service for the pleasure of the Lord, the God the Most Merciful the Most Greatest, my King and my Savior. 

I have to translate this into English first before doing it again in Chinese and Japanese for my part of penance and asking forgiveness on my sins. Mum had also asked me to help her with kitabs translation into Japanese and I need to find good dictionaries too beside analyzing appropriate Chinese characters... The biggest problem is grammar which seems like taking me forever to translate kitabs. I don't want any credit nor profit for this. This is solely dedicated for my beloved One, the God for the benefit of my brethren whom I love with all of my heart. Brothers and sisters may use this for educational purpose with the light of Quran and Sunnah and help to circulate them if possible. I beg brothers and sisters to also translate this into your mother tongue and teach your family and friends. I can't do this alone because there are extensive things that need to be clarified regarding Shari'ah not only to non-Muslims but also to people who call themselves "Muslims."

Beginning of the Treatise

Be known to you o people, indeed the Science of Tasawwuf is the knowledge to analyze our heart and its characters. Either the characters of the heart is the praised one such as humility and patience or the disgusting characters of heart such as jealousy, envious, and arrogant.

The benefit of these lessons is to empty human heart from other matters except leading it only to the God. It is a science which teaches human to decorate hearts through opening the heart toward the Lord of the universe. In order to achieve this, human must try to eliminate ugly behaviors through the purification of heart. The legal notion for nations to know about this is obligatory and it is a responsibility. It is obligatory on everyone who reaches their maturity of age, and for those who are sane. The source for these lessons is the glorious Quran and the Sunnah which is the prophetic traditions. The name for these lessons to cure the diseases of heart through spiritual view is the Science of Tasawwuf. 

Be known to you, the meaning of the Science of Tasawwuf is to purify every physical parts of human-being from despicable acts and teaches human to analyze heart in order to clean it from elements of polytheism. What is asked for human to guard from sins for their physical body parts are seven altogether.

Those body parts are:       

1 - Eyes on what we see

2 - Ears on what we listens

3 - Tongue as a medium of articulation to make speeches

4 - Stomach 

5 - Genitals 

6 - Hands

7 - Legs

We must remember that these physical parts are the grace of the God on everyone of us. It is a responsibility for us to guard and protect them from sins and despicable acts. It is a responsibility of human-being to be grateful to the God. These physical parts will be witnesses in the hereafter after the Resurrection on what acts had been committed. 

Says the God: "The Day where We seal their mouths and their hands will be talking and witnessing their feet on what they had done." (Surah Yaasin verse 65) 

It means that the God will stop the voice from coming out from ones mouth but those physical parts of body will talk and telling the truth on what had been done with them by a certain individual during the Judgement. The feet will witness where had they bring the owner while he or she is in the world. Whether to prostitution house, to places to conspire against charity and penance, to places of vices, and etc. The hands will talk on what we typed now, and what we write now during the Judgement. Physical parts will tell everyone during the Judgement what we had done during our lifetime. This prophecy about the Judgement is also foretold in other scriptures as well and it is apart of the Pillar of Faith in Islam, we believe in the Resurrection where everyone will be resurrected for the Judgement on what they had done during their lifetime. Every consequence of deeds done during lifetime will be carried by every creature.

Says the God: "And you cannot hide from the testimony of your hearing and not from your vision and not from your skin but you think that the God does not know many things of what you had done." (surah Fussilat verse 22)

According to the al-Hidayah House of Quranic commentaries, those who obviously performing vice and sins thinks that the God is stupid like them and does not know what they are doing while they are in this life. Their hearings, their vision, their skin and others will be witness during the Judgement and the God Himself is the Witness over all. 

According to the book, nobody could hide their evil actions while he or she is in the world. The hearings and vision and skin will be the witness for those acts committed as these seven physical parts never are separated from human-being and it is always at its place when a person committing evil acts or other things.

This book is about ihsan which is mentioned in sunnah nabawiyyah about what is iman, what is the religion and what is ihsan... So, those who think themselves as the followers of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab don't quickly judge people just because people use the term tasawwuf to identify a branch of science to know what Allah expects from His servants. We follow and worship only Allah 'Azza wa Jalla. We do not worship teachers and other human-being no matter if they performed miracles or not!

Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad wa 'alaa aali Muhammad... Sealed with mercy, peace, and love, amin!