Introduction to Our Creed

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Ramadan 1433 H

I am just posting some information about our creed which is known as the Ahl Sunna wal Jama'a and the orthodox standard of our creed as compared to the Mu'tazila and Shi'a Muslim creed. Since I am officially of Hanbali school now because I received the kitabs from Saudi da'awa departments when I went for Mecca to "revert" and also perform pilgrimage with my mother who is a loyal Shafi'ie jurisprudence follower. I would like brothers and sisters to know that there were tasawwuf practitioners amongst the orthodox Hanbali jurisprudence adherents and they were not as hostile to other Muslims of difference jurisprudence schools as the Wahhabi movement followers. I am just pasting the standard one and not of my country's definition yet because the majority of my country men are the Shafi'ie jurisprudence followers while some of Indian descent are of Hanafi jurisprudence.

Our country also has Shari'a court in parallel with Civil court. Maybe brothers and sisters in other parts of the world are interested to see the challenges, prospects or opportunities for Shari'a applications in policy and decision-making because it can be observed in parallel or in co-operation with the Civil ones when Muslims live among the non-Muslims. Just to clear the confusion about Sharia as an uncivilized system. It is a divinely revealed system of life and nature. I am sure those who are involved in the legal field would understand this because my lecturer for European law subject and thesis supervisor who was a civil attorney also mentioned about the divine law. She is not religious anyway but a feminist researcher. When I discussed this with a Jew friend, he also mentioned about the same thing based from Ibnu Maimun (Spanish Jew teacher) exegesis of their scriptures regarding the part of Genesis on the Noach covenant with the God and this is passed orally to his children and descents of human-being.  

The explanation about the creed is given by Dr. Sulayman b. Qaasim al-Eid regarding on the meaning of the Sunnah. Sunnah has many meanings. In my personal understanding, the Sunnah generally refers to traditions of prophets and messengers of Allah. Specifically, it refers to the traditions inherited from our noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w. So, this is my personal understanding. I am not a teacher as I always strongly emphasize in some of the posts for brothers and sisters to please avoid spreading anything out of here without consulting your "qualified and certified" teachers as I was also a non-Islamic "philosophical" studies student which is not really a beneficial field of study. However, I could detect the origin of some "weird" practices by others through those experiences, hehe. Let us see what is the standard one by academic level of Shari'a studies about the Sunnah. 

Sunnah

Linguistically, the Sunnah refers to clarification, way or road and a normal custom. In Islamic sciences Sunnah has few terminological or technical meanings too for example: 

1. In Fiqh (Jurisprudence), it refers to something preferred or if performed, the person is rewarded but if left, it is not sinful. I guess in jurisprudence, everyone should acknowledge this and why there are differences in schools of jurisprudence is because they follow different kinds or angles of Sunnah which was practiced by people during the Medina period.

2. For Usul al-Fiqh, Sunnah refers to one of the agreed upon portions of proof used in Islamic jurisprudence. There are also two kinds of Sunnah as for example in salat services of worshiping component.           

3. In Hadith, Sunnah means anything which is connected to the prophet Muhammad s.a.w in terms of his statements, actions, his silence and things he accepted because he is our greatest teacher and prophet.

4. In Aqidah (creed), Sunnah refers to matters which opposed innovation. This is the practice of the Hanbalis or the Salaf followers. Regarding on innovations, there are discussions about this and I am sure there would be polemics about certain things such as the special events among those who follows the neo-Salafi movements and the Wahhabi movements or with those who are not attached with any movements but simply identify their selves with Islam and only as the Ahl Sunna wal Jama'a. Also conflicts with followers of other schools of jurisprudence because the Hanbali muqallidin actually could not exercise his own legal decision-making unless if he knows at least 5000 traditions. 

Al-Jama'a

What does al-Jama'a means? This noun could be divided into four meanings:

1. Al-Ijtimaa' which means the opposite to separation and a collective assembly.

2. Al-Jama' means the name of a group of people.

3. Al-Ijma'a referring to agreement upon a ruling.

4. Al-Jama'a refers to a large number of people.   

What does Islamic meanings for al-Jama'a?

1. The companions of prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

2. The scholars of guidance.

3. A group upon the truth, without separating.

4. The group of Muslims, the Sawaad al-'Azam.

5. The Muslim rulers and those who they place in charge of the affairs.

6. A group from amongst the people who agreed upon something example the congregation of a mosque.

Ahl Sunna wal Jama'a

Ahl Sunna wal Jama'a in this note refers to:

1. The companions of the prophet Muhammad s.a.w and those who follow them in term of guidance.

2. The specialists and practitioners of hadiths.

3. The people of narrations or athari, usually among the Hanbalis who refuse to interpret anything about the God mentions about Himself from Quranic texts nor trying to fit any philosophical meanings to it if there is no evidence in the Sunnah but simply leaving it just like that and this is used in "debate" by others to accuse the Hanbalis as "imagining" the God resembles His creatures with "mass". In this part, I believe that if the God says that He is as that or as this in the Quran, then it is it! No more interpretation no more long-winding "philosophical" talk whether the God is in form of spirit or mass. He is only the God or Allah. I don't know if I am also in the category of mujassim by having such a believe, lol. I asked some people who accused us about the God with the "mass" and they answered me that the God exists as spirit. I just asked myself is this what the God tells about Himself in the Quran and in the Sunnah? I read what the honorable Sheikh Muhammad Metwalli Sha'arawi wrote in the "Miracle of the Quran" that the God is not framed in the time and in the space. Spirit is still framed within time and space and those of "philosophical" studies were developed from theories which is of no base from our scripture, namely the Quran and the Sunnah of prophet Muhammad s.a.w. How dare these people said things which Allah never ascribe to Himself yet accuse others with what others never imagine about Him...  

4. The righteous predecessors.

5. The saved creed and victorious group of people.     

Rules Regarding the Method of the Ahl Sunna wal Jama'a Understanding the Issues of Creed

1. The Quran and Sunnah is the sources in which to turn back to.

2. Neglecting to enter into rhetoric or philosophy, and being sufficed with the Quran and Sunnah.

a. The Salaf were careful as to only gain beneficial knowledge.

b. The Salaf followers forbid every type of innovation.

c. The Salaf followers wrote refutations against the innovators

3. The Sunnah is a proof, including reports with only one route (khabr ahad).

4. Relying on the understanding of the Companions and those who followed after them.

5. Submission for that which comes from the revelations. While believing it is completely acceptable to the mind (al-'Aql).

6. The negation of putting forward the understanding of innovators, or the mind before the texts.

7. In order to understand the texts, we must look at all the texts. Don't single one out without seeing others to explain it.

8. Understanding the Motashabeh verses with the Mohkam verses. It must come from the Quran itself and not from other works. 

I can't stop listening to simple Surat al-Baqara recitation by Sheikh al-Kaadouli until I did not sleep this whole night, hehe.  I also listened to recitations of Mr. Bousenna Abdel Monaim from St. Etienne Mosque in France. I am envious to see them memorizing the Quran and I only could memorize some parts of it which makes me hate myself. Have a nice week end and wishing brothers and sisters beneficial holy days. We can fast optional fast too before the 10th of Dzulhijja and if we had already substituted the past Ramadan fasting that we had left then it is mustahab to fast. Learn as much as possible the meanings of Qurban in the near coming 'Aidul Adha in order to seek closeness to the God. I am praying for the increasing faith in our heart and may Allah protect us from deviation. Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad wa 'alaa aali Muhammad. Walking for the musalla salaat al-Fajr at the first point, alhamdulillah : )  

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

Domestic Remedies: Headache, Cough, Hemorrhoid

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

 Malabar Nut

Urmm, I admit that this is non-Sunnah and its more to traditional medication. So, any Salafi self-claiming brothers who wanted to blast us for using stuffs from Hindu-Buddhist scriptures, we don't care a bit and would never feel offended at all. I'm quite familiar with Hindu's medications though some researches show that it's not safe. I used to practiced them all when I secretly studied Buddhism and tried to practice the tenets of dharmma (responsibility). We don't judge people, we don't low-estimate people. We admit that we are low creatures before Allah A.W.J. Allah would just make us infidels if He is Willing and so on. We should never be arrogant thinking that Guidance would always be with us without any du'a but looking at others as we are holier.

Urmm, who cares what people wanted to view us. This is how poor people like us survive because free medical treatment is not always easy to be accessed and when we go to clinics we have to also wait many people before getting to our turn. While getting to our turn, perhaps we would fell collapsed. We should also find the way to lessen the burden of administration and we're not as rich as Saudi Arabians where their government supporting even the surgery for 70 years old man's genital to get marry to 17 years old girl. This is no created stuffs because my third sister is a nurse in Saudi Arabian public hospital.   

For domestic diseases such as headache, cough, and hemorrhoid... We just use stuffs that we can see in our kitchen. Since our climate here is the same with the climate in Southern India so we could also get the access to the same stuffs or almost the same stuffs. I'm just sharing it here for fun and wishing it benefits other brothers and sisters only if it brings no doubt to brothers and sisters. I would never mention about Sunnah if the stuffs have nothing to do with Quran and Sunnah but mentioning them as native traditions because stuffs like ginger and Malabar Nut Leaves are those stuffs created by Allah for us in the region according to climate.

Headache

Spices

Two dried gingers

A cup of milk

How to do it?

Pound gingers with mortar. Mix just enough milk into the ginger portion to lessen the effect of ginger on skin. After the portion is ready just paste it at the forehead. Use your hand so you know how much to paste it on the forehead. Leave it for 20 minutes but 30 minutes for serious case. The thicker the portion, the easier it is to be pasted on the forehead. Patient must sleep in the period before the paste gets dried.

Cough

Spices

5 pieces of Malabar nut leaves 

Honey

Vessel to keep the juice

How to do it?

Smoke the leaves one by one on the medium fire at our stove until it soften. Put leaves on a clean plate and sprinkle some water. Pluck off the stalk from the leaves. Then fold leaves one by one and press it with our hand to get drops of juice from the leaves into a vessel. Put five drops of honey into the juice. This one is for a dose. Take it morning and evening so everyday we would have it twice. It's good for those who spit blood with the thick gel. Last time I had also prescribed one of my colleague with this but we could not find the Malabar Nut leaf. It could be founded in this country too other than Himalayan Mountainous range. It's Hindu name is Wassak. I don't know its name in other Indian languages except Sanskrit. Luckily his cough was not that bad so it's enough with plain honey that I bought in Tesco. These spices are important for me, I would keep them always with me.

Hemorrhoid

Spices

5-6 red little onions

Ghee or coconut oil

How to do it?

Cut each onion into five to six pieces. Just cut it in any way that we like. Put them into the pot and stir it with a spoon of ghee or could be substituted with coconut oil. Little onions stop the internal bleeding. We could not use the big onion because that one is for cooking. Little one has medicinal value. Don't add any other spices or salt or sugar inside the portion made. This one is only for a dose. Take it twice. Don't eat it with other side dishes. It would take a patient three days to fully recover.

What I Think? 

School never teach us these. I just learned them by listening and asking people around. Later I checked them in Hindu-Buddhist scriptures in libraries based on descriptions given. I never found this in Biology textbooks that I borrowed to read. Many of my notes were lost while we moved because we always move. I remember that I had notes about tenets of Buddhadharmma and Brahmanism, teachings of Theravada traditions, Bali-Sanskrit terms, Yogacharah, Phanawa or forest tradition which is a strict teaching for monasticism in wilderness, Montras and Kathas, temple diagrams, Mudra for mental image if I can't open up Guru image, pictures of Guru (Buddha) for personal prayers in which I kept a little one in my wallet after I recited the three gems and others. This is before I began to realize that I am a Muslim, haha. I put everything inside a box and bury it somewhere at my old house before we moved away just after I recited shahadah (testimony of faith), performing prayers and supplication for Guidance and Mercy and I began to perform daily prayers again, later then I performed the pilgrimage to Holy Mecca.  

So, this is just a sharing for fun. It just popped out of my mind after I see my little sister is coughing...  I feel annoyed to see people in sickness, I wish it benefits those who are in sickness. This has nothing to do with religion but it's just apart of health care. I don't practice any more other tenets of previous belief but trying to strictly be in compliance with Quran and Sunnah emphasizing on the basis of Shariah Islamiah.

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

Sahur in Hostel Ramadan 12th

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

Hahaha, it's quite fun having sahur (predawn-meal) alone. No one to see on how I eat whether I eat like a sungkur tak pernah makan setahun or in polite sopan santun cover manner. Without we realize time working so fast and it is now 12th of Ramadan. Just wake up every morning at 4:30 and having some vegetarian meals such as wholemeal bread, pickled mixed vegetables, ghee and some hua nan tsai (green mustards) in the can. These kind of food reminds me when I was a follower of lord Buddha teaching. Perhaps, his teaching was also influenced by Ahimsa philosophy. I refused meat too last time though it is not a must for a Buddhist. Raya Haji takut lah banyak sembelih daging (Eiduladha was a nightmare), lol.

Green mustard. Simply long time not taking any vegetables asyik makan ayam ja.

These food are classified as pure unadulterated kind of food which they called as sattawah. However I believe I have some ginger, onion, lime and lehsun (garlic) in my pickled vegetable because it tastes pungent and sharp. So, it's not really pure lacto-vegetarian meal as there are stimulator. Some ginger, onion, or garlic are good to drive out blockage in our nose however it is less good than sattawah. This is not sunnah prescribed food but some of it might be in coincidence the same. This classification is made by Brahmins and Yogis of ancient India. They are good in traditional medicinal food and herbs. Their medical tradition had spread as far as Persia in the West and South East Asia in the East.

 

 Garlic, it is good for consumption if we have cholesterol or hypertension problem.

For drink I had some tea mixed with some fresh milk and honey. I can't keep food long here as I have no fridge so it is quite difficult for me to store fresh stuffs. It would be wasting if I have to throw foods away after they become rotten once they're due while only having some of it. So, we have to think for solution to get some balanced nutrients and in the same time minimizing wasting through some budget that we have. I listed down all of the yogic prescribed food in the paper wherever I could recall and checking the price at the market before buying stuffs. Make sure we plan everything. Maybe our plan would not be according to what we planned but at least make some plans to get along with the budget. It is better than nothing. 

Fresh ginger is good to clear up mucus that blocking our nose but it is a stimulant. We can see some strict Chinese Buddhist adhering to vegetarianism and some Orthodox Hindus avoid ginger too.

Perhaps I need to consider getting some powder milk too. Fresh milk is expensive. A small box of fresh milk might cost around RM1.70. Medium size fresh milk say of Dutch Lady brand would cost me around Rm3.30. How could we maintain our nutrients balanced in the same time with minimum budget yah?

Left to right: pickled cucumber, pickled mixed vegetables, honey, windmill gheeblend, and dutch lady fresh milk for both pre-dawn meal and breaking the fast.

 Roti Gardenia, wholemeal to counter the effect of ghee. Who knows we might be caught with heart disease because ghee has some cholesterol in a tablespoon, rich in vitamins like vitamin A and D, helps in vitamin and minerals absorption. Too much of vitamin A is not good for liver. Tu ada tanda halal Jakim, tak kuasa lah nak periksa tanda halal tu kat benda-benda remeh begini. Tiap-tiap tahun pun nak kena perbaharui licence or certification here. Cara yang baik nak mencekik duit dari orang perseorangan n organizations. 

So, this is how some of us 'local' Malaysian students spending in food and beverage especially when we have no support from loaning institution such as PTPTN or getting scholarship from MARA or JPA. If not all but at least some people could know what we're going through in the midst of chosen students studying abroad could get benefits like traveling allowances to release tense and others although their difficulties would be in another form. Nak makan pun kena berkira dengan diri sendiri. When I was a 9 years old little kid, I had almost died starving too when we moved back to Kedah. We had no food, no money, clumsy situation after suddenly moving in to new place and this country is not an under-developed country but the lack of nutrient problem is everywhere.

It's not easy to attain all of those fussy financial help, even zakat. I don't take zakat and would never take it. I am talking on the behalf of other students who really need them. I don't take food at the mosque too in order to give way for others who need them more than myself. I still can survive with minimum consumption of food. What pusat zakat could do is to come down and talking with students or individuals, checking on whether these people really need help or assistance, and not to comfortably rear their ass in their airconditioned office. It is the responsibility and trust from brothers and sisters when orang pusat zakat and religious departments take the job, bukan makan gaji buta and relying on the subsidy sahaja. If everyone could be considerate, compassionate, considering that every soul has their rights before Allah and helping each other, at least the issue such as riddah (apostacy) or feast at the Methodist church could be avoided. There is of no use to blame those Protestants nor commenting on how weak is some people's faith. It is very easy to judge people and living in denial, orang Kedah kata mulut ringan jah wok kluaq kata-kata macam taik lembu selepok. Non-Muslim NGOs are quite active in social work. I noticed that Tzu Chi Buddhist Association is also active.
 

As for expenditure, not all of local students are using money without checking on the capacity because most of us are poor. Some who take post-graduate have to leave their job because of full time classes not only by research and it is not easy to deal with the schedule wherever we are not certain with something. It creates unstable situation where most people could not understand and putting these people into the same situation like them. Not all people are fortunate. We could ask people to learn about happy life all we want to forget the problem or for them not to bother our comfortable life but we can't run from the fact that we are sharing the air and earth with everyone. What would we do if we are in other people's situation? That is the question that we need to ask to ourselves when we talk about others.

Undeniably there are many irresponsible students out there who spend money as it is easy for them to get. I always mumbling at my sisters especially those who love to waste their money for unnecessary things and buying expensive things while there are also cheaper alternatives for that. Allah forgive us our false speech, forgive us our sins in thought and acts. Scripture time, self reflection time...

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