Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A very Brilliant Conversation

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"


I was clearing my old hotmail account which is flooded from junk and found this little piece of email from a friend.


A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION

An Atheist Professor of Philosophy was speaking to his class on the problem Science has with GOD, the ALMIGHTY. He asked one of his New Christian Students to stand and . . .

Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So, you Believe in GOD ?
Student : Absolutely, sir.
Professor : Is GOD Good ?
Student : Sure.
Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn't. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent )

Professor : You can't answer, can you ? Let's start again, Young Fella. Is GOD Good?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Is Satan good ?
Student : No.
Professor : Where does Satan come from ?
Student : From . . . GOD . . .
Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this World?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?
Student : Yes.
Professor : So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer)

Professor : Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the World, don't they?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So, who Created them ?

(Student had no answer)

Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you. Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD?
Student : No, sir.
Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD?
Student : No , sir. Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD, Tasted your GOD, Smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM?
Student : Yes.
Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith.
Professor : Yes,Faith. And that is the Problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?
Professor : Yes.
Student : And is there such a thing as Cold?
Professor : Yes.
Student : No, sir. There isn't.

(The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this turn of events )

Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat, a Little Heat or No Heat. But we don't have anything called Cold. We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as Cold. Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat. We cannot Measure Cold. Heat is Energy. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.

(There was Pin-Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )

Student : What about Darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as Darkness?
Professor : Yes. What is Night if there isn't Darkness?
Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the Absence of Something You can have Low Light, Normal Light, Bright Light, Flashing Light . . . But if you have No Light constantly, you have nothing and its called Darkness, isn't it? In reality, Darkness isn't. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you?

Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?
Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is flawed.
Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how?
Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality. You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD. You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can't even explain a Thought. It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing. Death is Not the Opposite of Life: just the Absence of it Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your Students that they evolved from a Monkey?

Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument was going )

Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and Cannot even prove that this Process is an On-Going Endeavor, Are you not teaching your Opinion, sir? Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher?

(The Class was in Uproar )

Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever seen the Professor's Brain?

(The Class broke out into Laughter )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's Brain, Felt it, touched or Smelt it? . .. . No one appears to have done so. So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that You have No Brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir?

(The Room was Silent. The Professor stared at the Student, his face unfathomable)

Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith, son.
Student : That is it sir . . . Exactly ! The Link between Man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that Keeps Things Alive and Moving.

NB:I believe you have enjoyed the Conversation . . . and if so .. . You'll probably want your Friends / Colleagues to enjoy the same . . . won't you? Forward them to Increase their Knowledge . . . or FAITH. That student was Albert Einstein.

Night Prayers; Qiamulaill

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

The uncertainty of how to perform these night prayers for the last 10 days or better known as Qiamulaill has made me restless and unable to sleep thus I went online to search for some answers.

But before I begin this long entry, I just want to sedekah an Al-Fatihah to an old friend of mine from way back in secondary school who has recently met with a sad incident. Inalillah... I told him that it is still Ramadhan and Allah has taken something away from him for a reason and he should redha and not be angry at his fate.

Alright, so to begin this 'lesson' proper, I'd like to quote some verses from Surah Al-Muzzammil ayat 1-8:

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ
O thou folded in garments!.
قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night,-

نِّصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا.
Half of it,- or a little less,
أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا.

Or a little more; and recite the Qur'an in slow, measured rhythmic tones.

إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا.

Soon shall We send down to thee a weighty Message

إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْئًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا.

Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul), and most suitable for (framing) the Word (of Prayer and Praise).

إِنَّ لَكَ فِي النَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا

True, there is for thee by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties:

وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا

But keep in remembrance the name of thy Lord and devote thyself to Him whole-heartedly.

And that... is in essence what Qiamulaill is really about. The later part of the night (1/2am till sahur time) should be spent in ibadah with the sole purpose of pleasing Allah and seeking forgiveness and kindness from Him. In addition to reading the Quran, here are the prayers that can be performed accordingly:
  1. Solat Sunat Tahajjud
  2. Solat Sunat Hajat
  3. Solat Sunat Taubat
  4. Solat Sunat Tasbih
  5. Solat Sunat Witir

Here are some sites that came in useful for me:
http://www.epondok.com.my/index.php?p=mutiarailmu/qiamullail.php
http://www.scribd.com/doc/5462255/Panduan-Solat-Tarawih-Witir-Tahajjud-Qiamullail-yang-Benar

It's quite alot for a first timer like me... but insyaallah I will be able to do it.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Aisyah r.a. ; The True Beauty (Book Review)

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"


From the cover itself, any woman who appreciates beauty would have been attracted by its colourful and stylish designs. However, the cover page, which entitles it in English is actually a book written in Malay or Bahasa Indonesia.

The author, Brother Sulaiman An-Nadawi has compiled what he considers the most comprehensive biography of Saidatina Aisyah r.a., the Prophet's youngest wife. That being said, I applaud his scholarly work which cites many historical data and hadiths.

May Allah give him many blessings for sharing this book with us.

The Book:

The first part of the book is written chronologically- depicting the life of Aisyah r.a from birth till her wedding with the Prophet s.a.w. Later on, the author tries to portray Aisyah r.a through various themes such as her relationships with the Prophet's s.a.w's other wives, her character, her intellectual discussions and contributions to the Islamic society and a few more.

The book is written in simple language, with footnotes explaining the context behind certain hadiths and incidents and in a nutshell, managed to make Aisyah r.a. very much alive and real in our minds.

One of my takeaways from this book, although I have only read 1/4 of it, is that the relationship between Aisyah r.a and the Prophet s.a.w is not only special but a basis for which his ummah can emulate. The stories inside this book shows us that our Prophet s.a.w. is also human and he too had marital problems which he always found solutions to. But it is without a doubt that he was a kind and gentle husband, father and grandfather.

As for Aisyah, although she was relatively young when the Prophet s.a.w was still alive, she has been described as a very intelligent child that had an excellent memory and was very curious and asked alot of questions. Her intellectual contributions after the Prophet's death are also laid out in the book; evident that women in Islam have been and should be given the right to knowledge, as are men.

As women of Islam, we should try to emulate the behaviour of the Prophet's wives and learn as much as we can about them because through their eyes we could see the Prophet from a lover's eyes and hopefully feel love for him and Allah as well. From them too we can learn what it means to be a good muslimah and a good wife and a good mother. Insyaallah.

May Allah bless us for our efforts to learn and acquire knowledge in His name.

Amin.

A meaningful Fast =)

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

I'm currently exhausted and waiting for my hair to dry before I perform my Asr prayers. Today has been a whirlwind of housework- laundry, cleaning and clearing. Heh heh.

When I was younger, I used to hate doing the cleaning and will always lament that my brothers are useless and do not help with the chores. I still do think that and I have made it a point that when I have sons, I will make sure they know how to cook, bake and clean just like the girls.

So after doing handwashing of laundry, I sorted out my past years' worth of readings and notes; dug out what I may need for this semester and chased away the dust mites and god knows what else inside that cupboard of mine.

After that, its cleaning the windows. But by the 4th room, my hands were having blisters and rashes and I had to stop. =( Sensitive skin with no more natural protection.

But the day feels very meaningful because I've done all these with the intention of pleasing Allah and I feel very contented.

Alhamdulliah...

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Berkahs from Allah s.w.t

"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"

There are always these simple things in life that you have that makes you feel grateful for His blessings and His love.

For example, I bought this new plant yesterday. Isn't it beautiful?



Then it got me thinking- Allah shows His magnificence when He creates such beautiful creations... and He must truly love beauty and perfection because isn't all that He created beautiful and perfect?

In every living thing He created, He had blown into it, His spirit of life and in that, allows us humans to be close to Him everytime we are near His creation. I love my plants and I take care of them everyday because of Allah. Because I marvel at how they grow and how they stand strong resisting wind and rain, cold or sunshine... Subhanallah...




Apart from that, there is also the pleasures that He has given me in terms of food. The first is a picture of sushi I bought from the Hei Sushi Kiosk. Not much, but enough for break fast. It occured to me while looking for sushi that I must find the halal one and not simply eat at any sushi kiosk. The halal-ness of a food would complement the journey I have taken during my fast.

Next is a picture of mooncakes that Hubtobe bought for my family. Isn't it lovely? I marvel at the intricate design on the mooncake skin.



Allahuakbar!