The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 - 1940)
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Sunday, October 31, 2004
People will remember
People will forget what you said ..
People will forget what you did..
But people will never forget how you made them feel.
People will forget what you did..
But people will never forget how you made them feel.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Ilmu & Iman
Ilmu memberi ketenangan lahiriah semata, dan iman yang memberikan ketenangan batiniah.
Ilmu memberi kekuatan, dan iman memberikan harapan.
Ilmu menjadikan seseorang itu efisien, dan iman menjadikannya efektif.
Ilmu memberi kekuatan, dan iman memberikan harapan.
Ilmu menjadikan seseorang itu efisien, dan iman menjadikannya efektif.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Verse of the whole life
“Every soul shall have a taste of death. We test you [all] with the bad and
good [things of life] by way of trial. To Us you must return.”
The Holy Quran, 21:35
good [things of life] by way of trial. To Us you must return.”
The Holy Quran, 21:35
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Mimpi Kehidupan
"Hidup adalah tidur, kematian adalah jaga,
dan di antara keduanya adalah khayalan yang hidup"
dan di antara keduanya adalah khayalan yang hidup"
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Wisdom, knowledge and information
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? (T.S. Eliot, The Rock)
Friday, September 17, 2004
Are you a knowledgeable person?
If you want to know how knowledgeable a person is, don't ask him a question but watch his action, because an action is the biggest measurement of knowledge.
The Art of Happiness
Among the greatest of blessings is to have a calm, stable, and happy heart. For in happiness the mind is clear, enabling one to be a productive person.
It has been said that happiness is an art that needs to be learnt. And if you learn it, you will be blessed in this life. But how does one learn it? A basic principle of achieving happiness is having an ability to endure and to cope with any situation. Therefore you should neither be swayed nor governed by difficult circumstances, nor should you be annoyed by insignificant trifles. Based on the purity of the heart and its ability to endure, a person will shine. When you train yourself to be patient and forbearing, then hardship and calamity will be easy for you to bear.
It has been said that happiness is an art that needs to be learnt. And if you learn it, you will be blessed in this life. But how does one learn it? A basic principle of achieving happiness is having an ability to endure and to cope with any situation. Therefore you should neither be swayed nor governed by difficult circumstances, nor should you be annoyed by insignificant trifles. Based on the purity of the heart and its ability to endure, a person will shine. When you train yourself to be patient and forbearing, then hardship and calamity will be easy for you to bear.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Petikan Dari Mathnawi (Jalaluddin Rumi)
Saat ini aku berada dalam sebuah keadaan
Di mana aku tidak dapat membezakan
Muatan dari keledai.
Aku berada dalam keadaan hari ini,
Di mana aku tak tahu mana duri
Dan mana mawar
Cintaku membawaku pada keadaan ini saat ini.
Aku tak tahu siapa Pencinta
Atau siapa Yang Dicinta.
Kelmarin, kemabukan mengantarkanku
ke pintu cinta.
Tetapi sekarang tak kutemukan
Pintu atau rumah itu.
Tahun lalu aku punya dua sayap.
kecemasan dan harapan.
Sekarang, aku tak tahu sayap-sayap itu,
Tak tahu bagaimana caranya terbang,
Tak tahu kecemasan-kecemasanku yang telah hilang.
Di mana aku tidak dapat membezakan
Muatan dari keledai.
Aku berada dalam keadaan hari ini,
Di mana aku tak tahu mana duri
Dan mana mawar
Cintaku membawaku pada keadaan ini saat ini.
Aku tak tahu siapa Pencinta
Atau siapa Yang Dicinta.
Kelmarin, kemabukan mengantarkanku
ke pintu cinta.
Tetapi sekarang tak kutemukan
Pintu atau rumah itu.
Tahun lalu aku punya dua sayap.
kecemasan dan harapan.
Sekarang, aku tak tahu sayap-sayap itu,
Tak tahu bagaimana caranya terbang,
Tak tahu kecemasan-kecemasanku yang telah hilang.
Thursday, September 09, 2004
What do we serve?
The human being has two purposes in life: one is to develop his or her creative expression to the utmost, and the other is to put that in the service of something greater than him or herself.
We are always serving something or someone. So what do we serve? Is it that tyrant within ourselves?
We are always serving something or someone. So what do we serve? Is it that tyrant within ourselves?
Pertolongan Tuhan
Pertolongan sentiasa diberikan kepada manusia. Kita senantiasa dikelilingi dengan pertolongan dari Tuhan. Persoalannya sekarang adalah: kemampuan kita untuk menyedarinya; kerana ketika ia tidak diketahui, tak banyak gunanya.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
The Wisdom of Ibrâhîm ibn Adham
A man came to Ibrâhîm ibn Adham, may Allâh be pleased with him, and said, “Abû Ishâq, I am unable to control my lower self. Please give me something to help me with it.”
“If you accept five conditions,” said Ibrâhîm, “and are able to put them into practice, your disobedience will not cause you any problem.”
“Just tell me what they are, Abû Ishâq!” the man said.
“The first is that when you want to disobey Allâh you do not eat anything He provides.”
“Then how will I get anything to eat? Everything on the earth is from Him!”
“So is it right to eat His provision and disobey Him at the same time?” replied Ibrâhîm.
“No, it is not. What is the second condition?”
“When you want to disobey him, move off His land.”
“That is even more difficult!” Exclaimed the man. “In that case where will I live?”
“Is it right to eat his provision and live on His land and then to disobey Him?” asked Ibrâhîm.
“No, it is not. What is the third condition?”
“When you want to disobey Him in spite of eating His provision and living on His land, find a place where He will not see you and disobey Him there.”
“What do you mean, Ibrâhîm? He knows everything that happens even in the most hidden places!”
“So is it right to disobey Him when you eat His provision and live on His land and when you know that He can see everything you do?”
“It certainly is not!” the man replied. “Tell me the fourth condition.”
“That when the Angel of Death arrives to take your soul, you say to him, ‘Give me a reprieve so that I can repent and act righteously for Allâh.’”
“But he won’t listen to me!”
“Then if you cannot ward off death long enough to give yourself time to repent, and you know that when it comes there will be no reprieve, how can you hope to be saved?”
“What is the fifth?”
“That when the angels of the Fire come to you to take you to the Fire, you do not go with them.”
“They will take me whether I like it or not!” exclaimed the man.
“So how can you hope to be saved?”
“Enough, enough, Ibrâhîm! I ask Allâh’s forgiveness and I turn to Him!”
The man’s repentance was sincere and from that time on he was assiduous in his worship and avoided acts of disobedience until the day he died.
“If you accept five conditions,” said Ibrâhîm, “and are able to put them into practice, your disobedience will not cause you any problem.”
“Just tell me what they are, Abû Ishâq!” the man said.
“The first is that when you want to disobey Allâh you do not eat anything He provides.”
“Then how will I get anything to eat? Everything on the earth is from Him!”
“So is it right to eat His provision and disobey Him at the same time?” replied Ibrâhîm.
“No, it is not. What is the second condition?”
“When you want to disobey him, move off His land.”
“That is even more difficult!” Exclaimed the man. “In that case where will I live?”
“Is it right to eat his provision and live on His land and then to disobey Him?” asked Ibrâhîm.
“No, it is not. What is the third condition?”
“When you want to disobey Him in spite of eating His provision and living on His land, find a place where He will not see you and disobey Him there.”
“What do you mean, Ibrâhîm? He knows everything that happens even in the most hidden places!”
“So is it right to disobey Him when you eat His provision and live on His land and when you know that He can see everything you do?”
“It certainly is not!” the man replied. “Tell me the fourth condition.”
“That when the Angel of Death arrives to take your soul, you say to him, ‘Give me a reprieve so that I can repent and act righteously for Allâh.’”
“But he won’t listen to me!”
“Then if you cannot ward off death long enough to give yourself time to repent, and you know that when it comes there will be no reprieve, how can you hope to be saved?”
“What is the fifth?”
“That when the angels of the Fire come to you to take you to the Fire, you do not go with them.”
“They will take me whether I like it or not!” exclaimed the man.
“So how can you hope to be saved?”
“Enough, enough, Ibrâhîm! I ask Allâh’s forgiveness and I turn to Him!”
The man’s repentance was sincere and from that time on he was assiduous in his worship and avoided acts of disobedience until the day he died.
Monday, September 06, 2004
Where is the truth?
The man who lies to others has merely hidden away the truth,
but the man who lies to himself has forgotten where he put it.
-- old Arab proverb
but the man who lies to himself has forgotten where he put it.
-- old Arab proverb
Our True Self
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
- Teilhard de Chardan
- Teilhard de Chardan
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
The Root of Corruption
“And if the truth were to be in accordance with their desires, then indeed the heavens and the earth - and all that is therein would be corrupted and ruined.” [Al-Mu’minûn (23): 71]
The Prophet (s.a.w) said,
“None of you truly believe until he makes desires accord with what I have been sent with.”
Therefore ‘ilm (knowledge) and ‘adl (justice) are the roots of every good, whereas zulm (oppression) and jahl (ignorance) are the roots of every evil. And Allâh, the Most High, sent His Messenger (s.a.w.) with the Guidance and the Religion of Truth, and he commanded the doing of justice between people and that none of them should follow their whims and desires.
The Prophet (s.a.w) said,
“None of you truly believe until he makes desires accord with what I have been sent with.”
Therefore ‘ilm (knowledge) and ‘adl (justice) are the roots of every good, whereas zulm (oppression) and jahl (ignorance) are the roots of every evil. And Allâh, the Most High, sent His Messenger (s.a.w.) with the Guidance and the Religion of Truth, and he commanded the doing of justice between people and that none of them should follow their whims and desires.
Monday, August 30, 2004
Three Conditions to Acquire Excellent Character
1. The foundation must be good. If one has a rough and dry nature, it will be hard for him to submit to this [excellence of character] through knowledge, will, or practice. On the other hand, a mild and smooth nature will be ready and willing to receive the plowing and the seeds [to prepare it for character excellence].
2. The soul must be strong and capable of conquering calls of laziness, transgression, and desire. Those matters contradict perfection, and souls that cannot defeat them will always be defeated and conquered.
3. [One must possess] a discerning knowledge of the truth of matters, enabling one to put them in the rightful position, and to distinguish between flash and cancer - between glass and jewels.
If these three qualities are present in a man, and Allâh’s facilitation helps him, then he will be among those whom the best (husnâ) has been decreed and for whom Allâh’s care has been secured.
- Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
Excerpted from his Risâlat-ut-Tabûkiyyah
2. The soul must be strong and capable of conquering calls of laziness, transgression, and desire. Those matters contradict perfection, and souls that cannot defeat them will always be defeated and conquered.
3. [One must possess] a discerning knowledge of the truth of matters, enabling one to put them in the rightful position, and to distinguish between flash and cancer - between glass and jewels.
If these three qualities are present in a man, and Allâh’s facilitation helps him, then he will be among those whom the best (husnâ) has been decreed and for whom Allâh’s care has been secured.
- Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
Excerpted from his Risâlat-ut-Tabûkiyyah
Monday, August 23, 2004
Diri yang hilang
Before we are born, "our self" is inside us ready to mould our identity. Unfortunately, as we are born and grow older, we identify ourselves with our external world - family, friends, other people, the culture at large - regards us.
More and more our identity and name come to mean something else, something other than independent sense of "I am" inside us. More and more "I am" now identified with just those conditions which other people can see and know or which are put into us by external influences, and this includes our thought and opinions, which come to us from outside, and many of our emotions, our likes and dislikes, our ideals and values, our sense of self respect and place.
And more and more we identify ourselves with our bodies, with pleasures and pains and the changes that take place in them, including, of course, the intensity of sexual awakening and sensation and all the emotions that are attached to sexuality.
We identify ourselves with our social class or ethnic group or gender or nationality or any one or more of hundreds such aspects of our communal life.
At the end we could not find "our self" anymore. We are lost . . .
More and more our identity and name come to mean something else, something other than independent sense of "I am" inside us. More and more "I am" now identified with just those conditions which other people can see and know or which are put into us by external influences, and this includes our thought and opinions, which come to us from outside, and many of our emotions, our likes and dislikes, our ideals and values, our sense of self respect and place.
And more and more we identify ourselves with our bodies, with pleasures and pains and the changes that take place in them, including, of course, the intensity of sexual awakening and sensation and all the emotions that are attached to sexuality.
We identify ourselves with our social class or ethnic group or gender or nationality or any one or more of hundreds such aspects of our communal life.
At the end we could not find "our self" anymore. We are lost . . .
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Aset yang tiada tolok bandingnya.
Secara naluri, kita sebenar lebih menghargai apa yang kita tidak miliki. Silapnya, kita memupuk naluri itu supaya menghargai apa yang tidak ada pada kita tetapi dimiliki oleh orang lain. Kekayaan, kekuasaan, kehebatan, kecantikan, dan apa sahaja kelebihan yang diperlukan tetapi tidak kita miliki. Didikan naluri sedemikianlah yang menyebabkan "aset" yang kita miliki pada ketika ini terselubung harganya. Oleh sebab itu apabila seseorang terputus jaring telunjuknya, baharulah dia sedar betapa berharganya jari itu, setidak-tidaknya untuk mengorek hidungnya!
Oleh kerana itulah, kita hanya benar-benar menghargai "aset" yang kita miliki setelah aset berkenaan tidak ada pada kita. Nah, pada ketika itulah kita akan terasa kehilangan nikmat memilikinya. Malangnya manusia itu demikianlah kecenderungannya, "sudah terhantuk baru terngadah".
Hargailah keluarga, isteri dan anak-anak; semua yang kita miliki, dari yang sekecil-kecil sehinggalah sebesar kurnia Allah s.w.t. - Dan pastinya keimanan kita merupakan aset kurniaan Allah s.w.t. yang tiada tolok bandingnya.
Apakah kita menghargainya? Benar-benar menghargainya?
Oleh kerana itulah, kita hanya benar-benar menghargai "aset" yang kita miliki setelah aset berkenaan tidak ada pada kita. Nah, pada ketika itulah kita akan terasa kehilangan nikmat memilikinya. Malangnya manusia itu demikianlah kecenderungannya, "sudah terhantuk baru terngadah".
Hargailah keluarga, isteri dan anak-anak; semua yang kita miliki, dari yang sekecil-kecil sehinggalah sebesar kurnia Allah s.w.t. - Dan pastinya keimanan kita merupakan aset kurniaan Allah s.w.t. yang tiada tolok bandingnya.
Apakah kita menghargainya? Benar-benar menghargainya?
Sunday, August 08, 2004
Rezeki, jodoh dan usia ...
Apakah rezeki seseorang itu telah ditetapkan sekian banyak, umurnya sekian panjang dan jodohnya sianu? Jika telah ditetapkan apa perlunya usaha mencari rezeki, menjaga kesihatan dan memikat bakal isteri atau suami? Jika tidak ditetapkan apakah Tuhan tidak berperanan sepenuhnya? Inilah persoalan qada' dan qadar yang telah lama dibincangkan tetapi masih belum difahami dengan baik.
Di dunia ini semua aktiviti manusia terikat dengan ruang dan masa, kerana ruang dan masa itulah yang menjadi alat ukur aktiviti manusia. Pada hal Tuhan Semesta Alam tidak terikat dengan masa dan ruang manusia. Justeru, memahami peranan Tuhan Yang Maha Mengetahui dalam soal rezeki, umur dan jodoh dengan alat ukur manusia akan lebih banyak mengundang pertanyaan daripada jawapan. Apakah alternatifnya?
Pertama kita mesti yakin sepenuhnya bahawa apa yang tertulis di "Loh Mahfuz" itu menggambarkan kuasa mutlak Tuhan. Oleh itu tidak perlulah dijelaskan "Loh Mahfuz" dengan kayu ukur manusia kerana ia akan membawa kepada kekaburan dan sikap pesimis. Oleh itu dari perspektif manusia kita mungkin dapat memahami bahawa apa sahaja yang telah berlaku itu adalah suatu yang telah "ditetapkan". Tetapi apa sahaja yang akan berlaku pada masa hadapan, Tuhan Maha Kuasalah yang "menentukan" berapa banyak rezeki yang patut kita perolehi, berapa panjang umur yang kita layak dan siapa jodoh kita, berdasarkan usaha dan doa yang kita panjatkan kepada-Nya - itulah Sunatullah. Sunatullah itu untuk kita, manusia dan Tuhan tidak memerlukannya.
(Nukilan ini sebagai tanda ingatan ke atas kembalinya sahabatku Almarhum Datu Bandira Datu Sialang ke rahmatulLah pada 8 Ogos 2004. Semoga Allah s.w.t. mengampunkan dosa-dosanya dan memasukkannya ke dalam syurga.)
Di dunia ini semua aktiviti manusia terikat dengan ruang dan masa, kerana ruang dan masa itulah yang menjadi alat ukur aktiviti manusia. Pada hal Tuhan Semesta Alam tidak terikat dengan masa dan ruang manusia. Justeru, memahami peranan Tuhan Yang Maha Mengetahui dalam soal rezeki, umur dan jodoh dengan alat ukur manusia akan lebih banyak mengundang pertanyaan daripada jawapan. Apakah alternatifnya?
Pertama kita mesti yakin sepenuhnya bahawa apa yang tertulis di "Loh Mahfuz" itu menggambarkan kuasa mutlak Tuhan. Oleh itu tidak perlulah dijelaskan "Loh Mahfuz" dengan kayu ukur manusia kerana ia akan membawa kepada kekaburan dan sikap pesimis. Oleh itu dari perspektif manusia kita mungkin dapat memahami bahawa apa sahaja yang telah berlaku itu adalah suatu yang telah "ditetapkan". Tetapi apa sahaja yang akan berlaku pada masa hadapan, Tuhan Maha Kuasalah yang "menentukan" berapa banyak rezeki yang patut kita perolehi, berapa panjang umur yang kita layak dan siapa jodoh kita, berdasarkan usaha dan doa yang kita panjatkan kepada-Nya - itulah Sunatullah. Sunatullah itu untuk kita, manusia dan Tuhan tidak memerlukannya.
(Nukilan ini sebagai tanda ingatan ke atas kembalinya sahabatku Almarhum Datu Bandira Datu Sialang ke rahmatulLah pada 8 Ogos 2004. Semoga Allah s.w.t. mengampunkan dosa-dosanya dan memasukkannya ke dalam syurga.)
Friday, August 06, 2004
What is the root of our problems? Metaphysical Crisis?
"The root of our modern problem with time is neither technological, sociological, economic nor psychological. It is metaphysical. It is a question of the meaning of human life itself." - Jacob Needleman in "Time and the Soul"
Walaupun failasuf Jacob Needleman membataskan perbincangannya hanya kepada masalah manusia dengan masa, tetapi punca permasalahan yang dikemukakannya itu akan dapat menjawab permasalahan manusia yang lain. Persoalan "metafizikal" seperti "siapa saya? dan "ke mana tujuan hidupku? jika dapat dijawab dengan tepat tentu sahaja dapat mendamaikan jiwa manusia yang risau dan gelisah. Sebaliknya Persoalan "fizikal" - kebendaan walaupun dapat memudahkan aktiviti dan menjimatkan masa, ia akan terus meningkatkan kerisauan dan kegelisahan manusia. Kenapa? kerana puncanya bukan berada di "luar" sana tetapi di sini - "dalam" diri manusia. Oleh itu jawapannya juga bukan berada di luar sana tetapi di dalam diri kita.
Ironinya, persoalan sebenar kepada "persoalan" yang dibincangkan di atas ialah bukan kita tidak tahu bahawa itu punca permasalahannya. Malahan kita juga mengaku, jawapan yang diberikan oleh para cerdik pandai dan agamawan dapat membantu mengatasi kerisauan dan kegelisahan kita yang tak kunjung reda. Sebaliknya, kita mudah sahaja tertarik dan terus terperangkap dengan urusan kebendaan, berserta harapan semuanya akan beres.
Kenapakah itu berlaku? Apakah kerana manusia (melayu?) mudah lupa? atau kerana kita juga mengutip "jawapan-jawapan" para cerdik pandai dan agamawan yang berada di "luar' sana, yang akhirnya jawapan itu menjadi "superficial" kerana ia tidak dicetus dari dalam diri kita sendiri?
Wallahualam.
Walaupun failasuf Jacob Needleman membataskan perbincangannya hanya kepada masalah manusia dengan masa, tetapi punca permasalahan yang dikemukakannya itu akan dapat menjawab permasalahan manusia yang lain. Persoalan "metafizikal" seperti "siapa saya? dan "ke mana tujuan hidupku? jika dapat dijawab dengan tepat tentu sahaja dapat mendamaikan jiwa manusia yang risau dan gelisah. Sebaliknya Persoalan "fizikal" - kebendaan walaupun dapat memudahkan aktiviti dan menjimatkan masa, ia akan terus meningkatkan kerisauan dan kegelisahan manusia. Kenapa? kerana puncanya bukan berada di "luar" sana tetapi di sini - "dalam" diri manusia. Oleh itu jawapannya juga bukan berada di luar sana tetapi di dalam diri kita.
Ironinya, persoalan sebenar kepada "persoalan" yang dibincangkan di atas ialah bukan kita tidak tahu bahawa itu punca permasalahannya. Malahan kita juga mengaku, jawapan yang diberikan oleh para cerdik pandai dan agamawan dapat membantu mengatasi kerisauan dan kegelisahan kita yang tak kunjung reda. Sebaliknya, kita mudah sahaja tertarik dan terus terperangkap dengan urusan kebendaan, berserta harapan semuanya akan beres.
Kenapakah itu berlaku? Apakah kerana manusia (melayu?) mudah lupa? atau kerana kita juga mengutip "jawapan-jawapan" para cerdik pandai dan agamawan yang berada di "luar' sana, yang akhirnya jawapan itu menjadi "superficial" kerana ia tidak dicetus dari dalam diri kita sendiri?
Wallahualam.
Thursday, August 05, 2004
A new kind of poverty - "time-poverty"
"we have surrounded ourselves with time-saving technological gadgetry, only to be over-whelmed by plans that cannot be carried out, appointments that cannot be honored, schedules that cannot be fulfilled, and deadlines that cannot be met." - Jeremy Rifkin