Nawaitu :)

Note: Ignore the karaoke lyric. It sucks... :/

When Religion is Used as a Political Tool...

The following news report is taken from the Malaysian Insider. I will not discuss it further as I hope that readers would understand it just by reading the report.

*corrupt political leaders sure like their asses to be kissed, even by/among the so-called "religious" people...

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KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — While Umno is hoping to score a major political coup in enticing Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin into the Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin, his fellow Islamic scholars say his controversial ideas could limit his impact and ability to draw support from conservative Malay voters.

They say the influential scholar could be forced to hold his tongue on religious issues because of political considerations.

Former PAS vice-president Datuk Nakhaei Ahmad said Asri would first have to decide what kind of role he wants to play in Umno.

“It is up to him whether he wants to play an active role or not,” said Nakhaei, who left PAS in 1980s before joining Umno.

However, Nakhaei dismissed PAS’s suggestions that ulama like Asri would be sidelined after joining the Malay party.

“When I was in PAS, I could not contribute much to Islam, but after I joined Umno those who understand missionary work would appreciate my contribution,” said Nakhaei, who led the government’s Islamic foundation Yadim until late last year.

“I did not lose anything by leaving PAS,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

Nakhaei, however, admitted that Asri (picture) may have to avoid discussing controversial issues so as not to affect Umno.

“He will have to be careful in bringing up controversial issues as Umno may be affected,” said Nakhaei.

Asri is known for his unconventional interpretation of the sharia.

As Perlis mufti, he had spoken up against moral policing which made him popular among certain sections of the Muslim community but made many conservatives uncomfortable.

For former Abim president Dr Muhd Nur Manuty, Asri’s popularity among some Muslims would not be enough to help Umno regain Muslim support it has lost.

“He may have ideas that can attract the younger generation, but Umno is in crisis now,” said Muhd Nur.

“When Anwar joined Umno the party was at its peak under the Mahathir leadership. But the era is over,” he added.

Muhd Nur was part of the Abim national leadership when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim joined Umno in 1982.

Muhd Nur, who is now a member of the PKR political bureau, served as Abim president from 1991 to 1997.

“I don’t think there will be a major impact. He is far different from Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar was a student activist, Dr Asri is a scholar,” he said.

Abim secretary-general Raimi Rahim told The Malaysian Insider Asri may have a role to play in the government just like other religious scholars such as Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom, who is the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, and his deputy Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim.

“He will bring in new ideas, new approaches that may make people around him uneasy,” Raimi said.

“But just like Jamil Khir and Dr Mashitah he will be given a role. As a controversial figure he will create an impact but Umno must handle him well,” he added.

Yesterday, Umno executive secretary Datuk Abdul Rauf Yusoh told The Malaysian Insiderthat Asri was expected to join Umno this Friday along with a number of other ulama in what would be a major coup for BN.

Asri, however, refused to confirm the matter, saying that he had not made a final decision yet.

Sketch Techniques (Daisy)

Let's learn drawing! :)

Taken from TLC.HowStuffWorks

Drawing Daisy

Learn how to draw this daisy.

In this section, we'll show you how to draw the above daisy. You can draw this flower freehand while looking at your computer monitor or print out this page to get a closer look at each step.

Follow the red lines in each illustration to learn exactly what to draw in that step. The lines drawn in previous steps are shown in gray. Here, we'll show you an illustration of each step and then give you a description of how to draw it.

Step 1: Lightly sketch circles to show the position of two of the daisy flowers. For the third one, which will be facing slightly to the right, lightly sketch an oval shape. Sketch a small oval for the center of each flower.

Lightly sketch the stems using lines that curve downward from each flower. Use shorter curving lines to show where the leaves will go.

Step 2: Use long, U-shaped curves for the petals. The lines for some petals will start and end at the center circle. Other petals will be behind them.

The lines for these petals will meet the lines of the first petals. Sketch long U-shaped lines for the leaves.

Step 3: Redraw the ends of the petals, putting small bumps at the tips. Redraw the centers so the ovals are bumpy, to suggest that the centers are tufted.

Redraw the leaves so the largest ones have irregular indentations. Complete the stems with two sets of parallel curving lines.

Step 4: Draw tiny circles in the bottom part of each center. Show ridges in each petal by drawing two parallel lines down the center. Draw a line down the center of each leaf to show the vein.

Step 5: Add some dots to each of the centers to give them more texture. Shade the petals with fine lines at the centers and the tips.

Shade the leaves with fine lines at their tips. Darken one side of each stem with many short lines.

Ulama: Dimuliakan atau Disucikan?

Artikel ini diambil daripada laman web Dr. Mohd Asri berkenaan salah faham serta ketaksuban masyarakat yang tidak menggunakan keupayaan akal fikiran secara kritikal dalam mengikuti sesuatu ajaran/ulama. Semoga pembaca dapat mengambil iktibar daripadanya.

-ameergoh-

Ada bezanya antara menghormatikan dan mensucikan. Dalam bahasa Arab disebut tauqir (memuliakan), sementara mensucikan disebut taqdis. Memuliakan atau tauqir bererti kita memberikan penghormatan kepada seseorang atau sesuatu pihak. Ia berkaitan dengan nilai ketinggian yang ada pada pihak atau individu tersebut. Jika dia pemimpin, atas nilai kepimpinan yang ada padanya. Jika dia ulama, atau ilmuwan maka atas nilai ilmu yang ada padanya. Jika dia orang tua, atas nilai usia dan pengalaman hidup yang dilalui. Demikianlah seterusnya.

Adapun taqdis atau mensuci bererti menganggap seseorang atau sesuatu itu terpelihara dari sebarang dosa, atau kesalahan. Menganggap ia suci (sacred) bererti apa sahaja yang datang daripadanya adalah benar dan mulia, tidak boleh dipertikaikan lagi.

Islam menyuruh kita menghormati ulama atau disebut tauqir al-‘ulama tetapi tidak membenarkan kita mensucikan mereka atau taqdis al-‘ulama. Kita menghormati mereka kerana keilmuan mereka. Apabila mereka berbicara dan bertindak dalam kerangka ilmu, maka dihormati dan disayangi. Kita berinteraksi dengan mereka dengan cara yang hormat dan sopan.

Namun, dalam masa yang sama kita tidak dibenarkan menganggap mereka suci dari kesilapan dan kesalahan. Mereka bukanlah para rasul yang setiap tindakan mereka yang berkaitan dengan agama dianggap hujah. Adapun para ulama mereka terdedah kepada salah dan silap, sama seperti manusia lain. Apabila ternyata mereka salah, atau silap kita tidak boleh mengikut kesalahan kesilapan itu. Dalam ertikata lain, kita menghormati, bukan mensucikan mereka.

Perkara yang begitu asas sebegini kadang kala gagal difahami oleh sesetengah umat Islam. Apabila mereka menghormati seseorang tokoh agama, mereka seakan menganggap pendapatnya suci, atau bagaikan wahyu yang mesti diikut tanpa perlu mengetahui alasan dan hujahnya. Mengikut secara ‘membabi buta’. Mereka letakkan tokoh-tokoh agama itu bagaikan nabi dan rasul.

Akhirnya, mereka mandulkan akal dan kewarasan mereka dengan mengikuti segala yang dititah atau pendapat yang dinyatakan oleh tokoh itu sekalipun ilmu dan akal yang Allah anugerahkan menyanggahinya. Ia amat berbahaya. Jika tokoh agama itu meminta wang daripada mereka, sekalipun tidak jelas alasannya mereka berikan. Jika tokoh agama itu memberikan pendapat dalam sesuatu perkara sekalipun ternyata salah dari segi angka dan fakta, mereka tetap telan dan terus menyanjung pendapat itu. Jika tokoh agama itu agung-agungkan dirinya dan menganggap dia luar biasa, sehingga ternyata kepada mereka yang bebas dari unsur ketaksuban bahawa itu adalah ‘takabur yang nyata’, namun pengikutnya tetap mencium tangan dan berkata ‘benar!’.

Maka bukan sedikit dalam sepanjang sejarah, atas nama agama atau tokoh agama eksploitasi terhadap akal, maruah, harta, kuasa dan berbagai lagi yang berlaku. Sebab itu Islam menentang sebarang unsur pemujaan kepada manusia sehingga mengenepikan ajaran Allah S.W.T dan RasulNya s.a.w.

Siapakah dalam kalangan ulama yang merasakan dirinya lebih baik daripada Saidina Abu Bakr al-Siddiq? Jika Abu Bakr berucap pada hari perlantikannya: “Wahai manusia, sesungguhnya aku telah dilantik menjadi pemimpin kamu, bukanlah aku yang terbaik dalam kalangan kamu. Jika aku betul, tolonglah aku. Jika aku salah, betulkanlah aku” (Ibn Athir, Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, 1/361), apakah layak untuk seseorang selain Abu Bakr berkata: “Aku mufti aku mesti betul”, atau “Aku tok guru aku tak akan salah”, atau “Aku ustaz, kau siapa?!”.

Perkara ini perlu sentiasa ditegaskan, agar kita mengetahui dan selalu sedar bahawa gelaran ‘ulama’, ‘tok guru’, ‘ustaz’, ‘kiyai’, dan berbagai lagi, hanyalah pemberian dan panggilan yang diberikan oleh manusia. Ia hanyalah anggapan baik atas faktor-faktor luaran yang dilihat pada seseorang dan persepsi yang ada dalam gambaran pihak yang memanggil atau memberikan gelaran tersebut.

Samalah juga dengan Professor, Dr dan seumpamanya, walaupun ia menerusi proses yang tertentu, namun itu bukan pertabalan yang ditetapkan Allah seperti pertabalan nabi dan rasul. Ertinya, gelaran-gelaran itu bukanlah jaminan untuk mereka tidak salah, atau melakukan dosa kecil mahupun besar. Ia bukan jaminan kemaksuman. Ia hanya sangkaan baik sesama manusia.

Sebab itu, ada golongan yang dinamakan ‘ulama jahat’. Maka, hormati golongan agama dengan kadar-kadarnya, namun jika ada pandangan atau tindakan mereka melampaui batasan kebenaran dan ilmu, kita akan menyanggahi atau berbeza dengannya tanpa perlu mengukur kadar ‘gelaran’ atau berat serban, atau labuh jubah yang dipakai.

Masyarakat Islam Malaysia hari ini antara masyarakat yang agak berharta. Maka, ramailah yang datang dari dalam negara dalam luar menonjolkan berbagaikan kelebihan agama yang sebahagian mereka mempunyai agenda ‘wang besar’ ke atas kita. Cerita-cerita keajaiban kiyai itu dan ini mula kedengaran. Kehebatan jampi dan air liur tok guru itu dan ini mula dipromosikan. Ramai yang menjadi kaya kerananya. Jika ini tidak dibendung, ia akan menjerumuskan masyarakat kita kepada minda khurafat, bukan minda kewarasan dan ilmu.

Mereka ini kadang-kala cuba berperwatakan melebihi watak Nabi s.a.w dan para sahabat baginda. Sehingga seseorang memaklumkan kepada saya bahawa di tempatnya, ada penceramah (barangkali ada tauliah) berceramah tentang kelebihan guru tarekatnya yang boleh berhubung langsung dengan nabi dan para wali. Ceritanya itu mengingatkan saya kepada apa yang pernah disebut oleh Syeikhul Islam Ibn Taimiyyah (meninggal 728H) menjawab golongan sufi yang seperti itu di zamannya, kata beliau:

“Dalam kalangan mereka (golongan sufi) ada yang melihat empunya kubur datang kepadanya, sedangkan telah lama mati. Lalu dia (jelmaan itu) berkata: “Akulah si fulan”. Mungkin juga dia berkata : “Kami ketika diletakkan di dalam kubur kami boleh keluar…”.

Ulas Ibn Taimiyyah lagi : « Syaitan dalam banyak keadaan menyerupai rupa insan, samada dalam tidur atau jaga. Kadang-kala dia datang kepada sesiapa yang tidak tahu dan berkata : “Akulah syeikh si fulan, atau alim si fulan”. Kadang kala syaitan berkata : “Akulah Abu Bakr, Umar…” Kadang-kala pula dia datang ketika jaga (yaqazah) bukan mimpi lalu berkata : “Aku al-Masih (Isa)” , atau “aku Musa” atau “aku Muhammad” ».

Kata Ibn Taimiyyah lagi : « Aku tahu perkara yang seperti ini berlaku dalam berbagai-bagai cara. Maka di sana ada yang mempercayai bahawa para nabi datang dalam jaga (yaqazah) dalam rupa mereka yang asal. Di sana juga ada para syeikh yang zuhud, berilmu, warak dan beragama mempercayai perkara seperti ini. Di kalangan mereka ada yang menyangka bahawa dia apabila datang ke kubur seseorang nabi, maka nabi tersebut akan keluar daripada kuburnya –dalam rupanya yang asal- dan bercakap dengannya. Di kalangan mereka ada yang melihat rupa seseorang syeikh di bahagian dalam Ka’bah, dia berkata: “Aku Ibrahim al-Khalil (Nabi Ibrahim)”. Di kalangan mereka ada yang menyangka bahawa Nabi S.A.W keluar daripada hujrah (bilik persemadian atau kubur) baginda lalu bercakap dengannya. Golongan sufi menganggap ini sebagai karamahnya. Di kalangan mereka ada yang menyangka bahawa dia jika bertanya orang di dalam kubur nescaya mereka akan menjawabnya”.

Sehingga Ibn Taimiyyah menceritakan ada di kalangan mereka yang apabila ada masalah akan datang dan bertanya kepada Nabi S.A.W, lalu Ibn Taimiyyah menyebut: “Sehingga kata Ibn `Abd al-Barr (ilmuwan agung Andalus, minggal 463H) kepada mereka yang mempercayai sebegini: “Celaka engkau, apakah engkau berpendapat orang ini lebih afdhal daripada al-Sabiqin al-Awwalin (para sahabat Nabi s.a.w yang awal menganut Islam) dari kalangan Muhajirin dan Ansar?. Apakah ada di kalangan Muhajirin dan Ansar sesiapa yang bertanya Nabi S.A.W (selepas baginda wafat) dan baginda menjawabnya?!! Sahabah telah bercanggah pendapat (selepas kewafatan Nabi s.a.w) dalam banyak perkara, adakah mereka bertanya Nabi S.A.W. dan baginda menjawabnya?!!. Ini Fatimah anak baginda yang berselisih pendapat dalam pusaka baginda, adakah beliau bertanya Nabi S.A.W dan baginda menjawabnya”. (Ibn Taimiyyah, Majmu’ al-Fatawa, 5/399, Riyadh: Maktab al-`Abikan).

Namun, malang sekali sepanjang sejarah, masih ada yang termakan dengan perkara-perkara yang seperti ini disebabkan mereka gagal membezakan antara menghormati tokoh agama dan mensucikannya. Cenderungan sesetengah penceramah agama melarang fikiran kritis dan akal yang aktif umat Islam, amat bercanggah dengan ajaran Islam.

Mereka itu sering berkata: “terima sahaja apa yang ulama atau tok guru cakap, jangan banyak fikir, Islam bukan ikut akal”. Islam mana yang tidak berteraskan akal yang matang dan benar?! Tok guru mana pula yang maksum semua cakapnya?! Ini akibat pembolotan kuasa pengaruh atas nama agama dan kegagalan umat membezakan antara menghormati dan mensucikan.

Jake Shimabukuro: The Humble Ukulele Player

Jake is an ukulele(the music instrument like a guitar where Hawaiians used to play) artiste and his work on his ukulele certainly wows every crowd who listens to his music. His performance in TEDx Tokyo proved his credibility as an artiste and he shared some good bits of stories too. Please set aside 20 minutes of your time to relax and stick to the performance. It just gets better until the end. It is, what people call, well-defined.

Overcoming Expectations

In our lives, we are ought to see that some things so acts are undermined with such low expectations by the people. People often prejudge you. However, instead of demoralizing you, you can take it as an advantage to blow them away with your "low" acts.

The following excerpt is taken from Garr Reynold's blog, Presentation Zen.

"There are many takeaways from this performance from the Zen Master of the the ukulele beyond mere entertainment. The ukulele itself, and those like Jake who play it so insanely well, represent both the struggle and the inspiration and delight that comes from blowing away other people's low expectations of you through your own hard work, unbridled passion, and dedication to excellence. As with the ukulele, others may misunderstand you or not take you or your cause seriously. Others may not give you a chance or think you are too small, too young, too old, too unusual to take a chance on. Few people take the ukulele for a serious musical instrument, and yet Jake shows us how misguided that kind of conventional wisdom is. Jake and his ukulele are an inspiration."

Last word: Learn blowing people's minds off...

Could multiple universe really exist?

Physicist, particularly for those who are in the fields of theoretical physics, cosmology, particle physics as well as astrophysics are in a surge of finding the theory of everything. Well, what is theory of everything and who started the research? This theory is said to be a single theory that can unify all four fundamental forces in this physical world as well as explaining the mechanism of the universe since the birth of it(the Big Bang). The work of finding the theory officially came into its debut to the scientific community of the world after the death of Albert Einstein. This was due to the mysterious unfinished paperworks on the desk of the late Albert Einstein. Soon it was discovered that the incomplete manuscripts were in fact the research work of the theory of everything. Now, the leading theory(and only theory, so they say) that fits with the characteristics or the theory of everything is string theory. Further information on string theory can be followed through this link. The theory combines with another theory, the supergravity theory which works in 11 dimensions, instead of 10 dimensions(which was preceded during the early development of string theory) to form the M-theory or membrane theory.

It is said that this theory also mentions about the existence of parallel universe, or multiple universe(multiverse). There is an interesting question that lingers in the back of my head. Do the parallel universes coincide with the unseen world(alam ghaib) of which Islam stated its existence? Or is it not and it is utterly and completely different? I can't say much on this, as my knowledge is still much, much shallow. Does the Al-Quran permit this theory? I don't know. Maybe, or maybe not. Thus, I hope, I can find the answer later in the future, InsyaAllah.

Below is a documentary about parallel universe and string theory, a production of BBC. Hope you enjoy it. :)

Note: You can watch the documentary via youtube.com directly by just clicking at the video screen. It's better you do so as this documentary is fractionated into 5 episodes. It'll spend you less time on the loading period if you open those 5 episodes(5 different browsers) simultaneously.