Moved

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Ramadhan Karim. Sorry for not posting for a long time. Since I've come back to Malaysia, I will start a new blog cause this blog is Kuching-Cambridge. That I'm not in Cambridge anymore and I don't think I want to change the name of this blog, so here is the new one:

http://ilman-nur.blogspot.com

Ramadhan Mubarak!

Wassalam.

Back in Malaysia

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Sorry for not updating this blog even though I have passed my viva and handed in the hard-bound thesis. I was too busy in packing and attending conference. 

Alhamdulillah, I arrived at KLIA on 28th May 2009 around 7.30am (Malaysia time +0700 from GMT during summer time) and took another flight from KLIA to Johor. After I have rested the night at my friend's house, I went to report duty the next morning at 8am and took 2 weeks of holidays. Actually, for those who have come back from study leave, they are given 7 days of holiday. It can't be brought forward and must start immediately on the day of report duty after returning from overseas. However, I have a conference in Singapore (1 hour drive away from my friend's house), I couldn't go home to Kuching after I have reported duty. I stayed in Johor and sorted out a few things over the weekend and went to the conference from Monday until today. My friend drove me to Singapore everyday since she has to go to the same university (where the conference took place) to do her lab work. Everything works out just fine, alhamdulillah.

Tomorrow, there are more stuff to sort out before I can go back to Kuching on Friday evening. Hence, I took more holidays to prolong my stay in Kuching. I don't know what to expect at home, just wish that it will be a pleasant time after nearly two years since I last saw them. I now have three nieces, one which I haven't seen.

Wassalam.

Farewell parties

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Alhamdulillah, we managed to organise two farewell parties today to ensure that I can most of the sisters, if not all of them, before I leave the UK. Thank to all the aunties in the Cambridge community who put their time, effort and money in providing us with delicious food for the parties. Thanks to all the sisters who came, helped in preparing and cleaning and who kindly gave me gifts. I really, really have had some great time today, but regret that I couldn't spend more time with each of the sister.

There are also sisters who came all the way from London for this party. May ALLAH reward all the sisters who participated and helped in this cause. Really, really appreciate them all.

I will miss all of them as they have been a part of my life in Cambridge for more than 3 years. It was a bit of a hactic day today but alhamdulillah, everything went well and the food is way more than enough that all the sisters later packed some home for their lunches and dinners for the next 1-2 days.

Also, there are some non-muslim friends who came and wish me good luck. They are some special friends of mine. One of them is among my first Jewish friend who is mashaALLAH very pious and modest person. Really pray that ALLAH will guide her.

Can't believe it's my farewell already. InshaALLAH I'll come back again. If not, may ALLAH meet us once again in the Paradise, amin.

Wassalam.

A pass with minor corrections

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, thumma alhamdulillah. Nothing more that I can say about today's viva. Out of my expectation, really. Before I go on, let me thanks everyone who has given me your kind supports and encouraging words throughout my PhD journey. For you that make dua for me, inshaALLAH the Angels must have made dua for you as well. Passing my PhD with minor corrections means that I need to complete some minor corrections, hand it to my internal examiner and he will check on behalf of both the examiners, endorse it and then I can submit the hard-binding thesis. That's it! This will probably take two weeks, then I will go back to Malaysia, for good.

The viva took one and a half hour. It was quite relax and I really enjoyed it because the examiners were very kind, supportive and funny too. I think I laughed a lot during the viva and they didn't ask me any mean questions, most of them were to clarify things, create some kind of argument, debates and discussions, and to help me think deeply about my findings. At one point of the viva, the two examiners started to have some kind of dispute. They were debating with each other over a concept and I was like sitting there watching them arguing. Then we talked about sports and other stuff as well during the viva. So really, it's not stressed at all and I had had some great time.

After that viva session, I went out of the room and they were having discussion about my results before they called me and my supervisor in to inform us the result. Alhamdulillah, they really like my thesis and research. The only problem is that I need to be more confident and braver in claiming my research findings. So, most of the corrections suggested are to help strengthen my thesis. I am very happy to have such encouraging and supportive examiners. 

Alhamdulillah.

Wassalam.

Viva!

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

InshaALLAH my viva will be in half an hour. I'm sitting here waiting to be called to the viva room. Basically, my examiners are here. They were having lunch with my supervisor and the PhD course manager, as usual procedure of the viva. After the lunch, the two examiners will sit together and exchange each other reports for discussion if they both have come to the same result for my PhD. If there is a substantive difference, a longer time will be needed to discuss over it, if not, I will be called in at 2.30pm today. There are basically 7 outcomes of a viva:

1. Pass without correction
2. Pass with minor corrections
3. Pass with major corrections
4. Review and resubmit
5. Resubmit and viva
6. Approve for a Master Degree
7. Fail

Please make dua.

Wassalam.

Mother's Day

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

The UK celebrates Mother's Day on the fourth Sunday in Lent (around April) but Malaysia celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May (following the US?) which is this Sunday. In fact, every country has its own different date for the Mother's Day. Almost every month there is a Mother's Day somewhere in the world. Practically saying, shouldn't it be a Mother's Day everyday? Well, no harm in celebrating such a day specifically once a year as long as it is not taken as a holy day that is associate with ritual or religious practice and not celebrated in a lavish fashion.

I actually don't really celebrate Mother's Day anymore since 9 years ago. Mother's Day is to honour a mum when she is alive, what can we do when she is no more on this Earth? Of course, one can still pray, but can I? (see previous post). Mother's Day is not in my diary but today as I was checking facebook, I came across a piece of note written by a friend. It's not something new but it's something that I have long forgotten.

A boy gave his mum a 'bill' stating that:

1. Helping mum to buy a bottle of ketchup from the shop - £2.00

2. Helping mum to look after her baby daughter - £5.00 per hour

3. Helping mum to turn on the kettle - £1.00

4. Helping mum with the laundry - £3.00

5. Helping mum to carry her shopping - £3.50

Total payment for today - £14.50

He gave his mum the 'bill' and the mum smiled. She then turned over the sheet of paper and wrote:

1. 9-month pregnancy carrying you - FREE

2. Sleepless nights looking after you - FREE

3. Breast-feeding you - FREE

4. Changing your nappies - FREE

5. Put you to sleep every night - FREE

Total payment of my love to you - absolutely FREE

Upon reading that, tears started to roll down from the boy's cheeks.

Happy Mother's Day! Tell her you love her everyday before she can't hear it anymore. Give her your warmest hug before she is not there for you anymore. Surely the Paradise is on mother's feet.

Wassalam.

Conversion

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

In less than 2 weeks, two friends finally took the shahadah and chose the path of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) towards ALLAH. Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, ALLAHUakbar. I know them for quite a while and they have been consistently following the practice of Islam and joining ISOC activities. Both of them wanted Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad to be the witness of their conversion and had the blessing of Friday to come into this blessed religion, the way of life that ALLAH says in the Qur'an:

Surely the religion with ALLAH is Islam...

~ The Holy Qur'an, Surah Ali Imran (Chapter 3, The Family of Imran), verse 19.

The first sister took the shahadah at Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad's house with the presence of her mum. I feel so good to know that her mum actually blesses her decision even she is not inclined to Islam, yet. InshaALLAH, one day she will receive guidance from ALLAH with the prayer of her daughter. With this, the community of reverts in Cambridge is getting bigger. The good news is that, there is at least one conversion every year took place in Cambridge. This year we have two and hopefully more in the future. And these new sisters were Christians before this.

Talking about Christianity, yesterday I went to a dialogue between Christian and Muslim. I came because I really want to ask a Christian scholar the concept of Trinity because I honestly am very confused about it and have tried to ask friends to explain it to me, but I am still very confused. After the explanation by this Syrian Christian, I became more confused because during the explanation, he said that this doctrine is not written in the Bible or the text of the Apostles of Jesus but it's a product of the Christian Theologians (a few centuries later?). And during the explanation, he kept attacking Islamic concept which has no relevance to the concept of Trinity, such as the concept of eternity of the words of ALLAH (which is not something crucial to the creed of the muslims, the important concept is tawhid - oneness of God). Anyway, the more he explained, the more I'm confused and I can understand why more and more Christian friends either choose to be less practising or become muslims. This paragraph by no way to talk down Christianity, it might be just my incapability to understand the concept of Trinity and out of ignorance of Christianity that I said so.

Another concept of original sins and salvation on the Day of Judgement by just believing in the crucifixion of Prophet Jesus also doesn't seem appealing for me. A new born baby is so pure and sinless, how can the merciful God set sins on the baby before even he/she can survive by him/herself? How can sins be a kind of inheritance from our forefather? If salvation is guaranteed to all who believe in the sacrifice of Prophet Jesus on the cross, why are the Christians taught to ask for repentance, more so during the services in churches? Everyone should be responsible for their own actions. We earn our own rewards and sins, no one else can be accountable for other's action.

Anyway, I have more doubts about these few concepts in Christianity after attending the talk. I pray that ALLAH will guide me to the straight path, as well as all those sincere people who only wish for good for themselves and others.

ALLAHU'alam.

Wassalam.

p/s: sincere apology if there is anyone felt offended with this post, I have no intention to insult any followers of certain doctrines, it's just that I couldn't accept it after openly research and discuss about it.

She's gone

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

My grandma has breathed her last this morning peacefully. Unlike my mum who struggled to breathe her last, my dad and sisters told me that my grandma departed peacefully. And today is Friday, a blessed day.

Questions remain as to what is my attitude as a muslim toward my grandma who claimed herself to be a Buddhist, a vegetarian Buddhist who believed in at least a God. There are arguments that a muslim should not pray for forgiveness for a non-muslim. This maybe quoted from the Quran when Prophet Ibrahim (as) prayed for forgiveness for his father.

"It is not (fit) for the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even though they should be near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are inmates of the flaming fire. And Ibrahim asking forgiveness for his sire was only owing to a promise which he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he declared himself to be clear of him; most surely Ibrahim was very tender-hearted forbearing."

~ The Holy Qur'an, Surah at-Tawbah (Chapter 9, The Repentance) verses 113-114

It is described very clearly in Surah Mariam (verses 42-50) and Surah Al-An'am (verses 74-81) that Prophet Ibrahim's father was a clear polytheist. As we know that no one will know the true belief of anyone else because there is no way that we can judge someone's faith (only ALLAH and the Prophets who were given the guidance by ALLAH can see someone's faith and what is hidden in the heart), how can we know if someone is believing or not? Someone at one point might not believe but who knows when the person is near his/her death, will ALLAH give him/her the guidance at that crucial moment of life? Seriously, no one knows except ALLAH. Whatever the person claims about him/herself, we will take it as correct. If a muslim said he/she is a muslim, then we believe so. This applies to non-muslim as well.

So, can I pray for my grandma? I don't know. Clearly, I don't know her faith after a long while I didn't see her. But I know that she was a Buddhist. Those that destine to Hell Fire forever are those who reject (kafir) and hypocrites (munafiq). Not all non-muslims are kafirun. Imam al-Ghazali said that if a non-muslim has not been told about the beauty and true teaching of Islam, it is unlikely that he/she will be judged on the Day of Judgement as a kafir. This is simply because he/she has never REJECTED Islam since he/she doesn't know what is the real teaching of Islam. Of course, we won't know what will happen to these people but surely ALLAH with HIS names ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim which carry the same connotation of merciful, gracious, kind, loving, benevolent, etc. is the Most Merciful of all. HE uses these two beautiful names the most frequent in the Qur'an - Bismillahi-Rahman-i-Rahim. And in a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said that ALLAH's mercy encompases HIS wrath. HE still has mercy to those who reject HIM by providing sustainance for them to live in this World.

Will HE be merciful to my grandma and mum who I don't know if they had ever come across the real teaching of Islam? In the Qur'an, in several places, ALLAH says,

Yes! whoever submits himself entirely to Allah and he is the doer of good (to others) he has his reward from his Lord, and there is no fear for him nor shall he grieve.

~ The Holy Qur'an, Surah al-Baqarah (Chapter 2, The Cow) verse 112

This verse doesn't just apply to the muslims, but also others like the Jews, the Christian, the Sabian, etc. Of course, I don't know what actually will be the correct situation. According to some scholars (e.g., Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad), ALLAH's mercy is there for us to ask. Ultimately, HE will decide and judge in the most just manner on the Day of Judgement. Think about this, if there is a muslim who has never done a good deed and there is a non-muslim (I'm not talking about kafir) who always does good deeds and well-known for his/her kindness, who deserves rewards on the Day of Judgement? Of course, it would be better if he/she submits to ALLAH and does good deeds.

Of all the arguments that I have read and asked from scholars, the answers are:

1. No, because they are not muslims and you can't pray for them, even if they are your kins
2. No, but you can pray for their guidance if they are still alive
3. No, but you don't know how vast ALLAH's mercy is, maybe HE will accept your supplication
4. Yes, because ALLAH is so merciful and they are your kins who had been responsible in taking care of you and bringing you up, and they have never been shown the true teaching of Islam (hence have never been kafirun), surely ALLAH is not going to foresake your cry for the good of these people that have bring you up and now that you are a muslim
5. Yes, because you can't judge their faith and only ALLAH knows. Just ask from ALLAH.

One very interesting answer that I received was when I went to Rihla 2007 and had the chance to ask Shaykh Abdalla bin Bayyah. He said (I hope I have paraphrased it correctly), what is going to happen in the Akhirah, no one knows. We don't even know if the kinship and tie between mother and daughter will still remain. Whatever that is in this World, we can try our best to do what is good and right but in the Akhirah, it is no longer in our slightest control. What is important now is what we are doing in this World and what will happen in the Akhirah to anyone else, seriously, cannot be in our concern.

I don't have a concrete conclusion but I can only hope for the best for myself and those who I care and love.

ALLAHU'alam.

Wassalam.

Departure

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

No, not yet but soon inshaALLAH. I hate departure, I hate leaving people and I feel worse if people leave me. I feel more painful if someone leaves me but less if I am leaving others. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I feel an emptiness if some I love and care of left me. Maybe it's because when I am leaving, there are more challenges and problems for me to face and think of on my journey and arriving at a new place. Anyway, I know I will soon face another great departure in my life.

I think we can divide departure in my life into two types. The first one is death. That's when my mum left us 8 years ago. That is among the worst time of my life. I can still vividly remember the moment she slipped away from us on the bed at the cancer unit. That is still affecting me everytime I thought about it and soon I know that another departure will come when my grandma is going to leave us soon. She is now in the hospital. She didn't wake up since Friday but her heart rate, blood pressure and respiration are all normal. The doctor said she will not live long and I am gutted that I won't be able to see her now. She is very old and has been through a very tough life. This is what makes her strong and she manages to endure the pain and illness for these many years. For her to depart from this world in a peaceful and painless manner, I think it is the best for her. No one is particularly sad at home because it is really a good way for her to go. I hope that in her heart she believes in one God and attains salvation in the hereafter.

The second type of departure is leaving a place forever or move to live in a different place. This happens to me twice. First was when I moved from my hometown to pursue my first degree in another town. I had to get a plane to travel there. I didn't feel sad at all but just exciting. It's only the first night at the hostel that I finally cried by myself missing home. After that, there were just so many things happened that I didn't have the time to think anything else. My second time was when I left Malaysia to do my PhD here in Cambridge. It was sad when I know that I am going to leave the people that I love. Tears bursted out not out of sadness but fear that I won't be able to see them again. I didn't feel sad when I arrived here because of so many problems and difficulties that I have to face here when I have arrived. My friends sent me off at the Senai airport and I travelled alone to Kuala Lumpur and to London Heathrow. Upon my arrival at Heathrow airport, a sister whom I have never met before picked me up to her house, gave me some useful culterly and sent me off to a bus stop at Guildford and caught a coach to Cambridge. Here, two brothers picked me up from the bus station and sent me to New Hall.

I know soon I will be facing another one. I don't know how am I going to face this one. I keep telling myself that it's just another departure and inshaALLAH I'll come back to see my friends again here in the future. But that doesn't help to make me feel any better. Inevitably I will feel sad for losing people that I love but I think there is a lesson to learn. A friend gave me this message:

When God takes something from your grasp, He is not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

What I need to do is to look forward for things that are coming, for there is God's Grace there. Of course, I will not forget the good memories of those who I have left. Friendships and sisterhood is something that I treasures that most. There is no way that I will want to break the ties but I know that to keep the ties as tight as I am here will not be possible when I have left. People always say friendship is forever, it's true in some sense but the intensity will never be the same forever. Another lesson that I have learnt from all these departures are that if we are talking about forever, there will never be a 'forever' for the matters of this World and with humans. The only eternity is ALLAH. Probably, the lesson to draw from departures is that we come to the conviction that ALLAH is the only one that will stay forever, be there for us forever and will never leave us forever. No matter how much we love someone or other loves us, they can't stay with us forever, if not mobility at least death. ALLAH in the first place has not been given life and of course HE will not die, so HE is the only being that will stay forever and ultimately the closest to us. Hence, the ultimate love for a human is to ALLAH, if one is to attain true happiness.

Oh ALLAH, The Eternal, fix my heart, my love and myself to YOU so that I won't be sad on every departure in my life again, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

ALLAHU'alam.

Wassalam.

Submitted!

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, all praises due to ALLAH, the Lord of the Universe. By HIS Grace, I've finally submitted my thesis to the Board of Graduate Studies yesterday. It's a burden off my shoulders but there is a bigger test to come - viva-voce examination, which will be scheduled on 12 May 2009 inshaALLAH. Lot's to prepare before the viva, please make dua for me.

Wassalam.

Thesis

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

After more than a year of writing and correcting and editing, (not yet finally) I printed out my first draft of thesis 2 weeks ago for my supervisor to do the final check of the contents of my thesis. When I printed out the whole thesis and sent it to binding, suddenly it knocked me that - this looks like a thesis! I didn't know what to think but kept telling myself that there is still a long way before the end. I still need to wait for the corrections, make the corrections, send it for proof reading to check the grammar, spelling, etc., binding, submission, viva, corrections after viva (hopefully can skip this bit) and hard-binding. Yeah, still a long way to go.

When I gave it to my supervisor, he emailed me back and said that this looks like a thesis. And on the day when he returned me the thesis with corrections during a mini-viva session, he said it looks like a thesis and he read like a thesis. But the viva wasn't that good because I was not assertive and aggressive enough to explain my stances. So, need to work on that. 

After corrected the thesis, I printed out everything including the title page, abstract, table of contents, appendices, etc. it then looks like a real thesis, only without binding. I posted it to a friend who can do a proper proof reading for me last week, inshaALLAH I'll see her this Friday to go through all the corrections. And after that inshaALLAH the thesis will be submitted. I am looking at either Monday or Tuesday of next week to submit the thesis.

What next? Really it depends on my sponsor. I either pack and go back to Malaysia and come back again for my viva which is scheduled on 12 May 2009 or I stay here until my viva and submission of the hard-binding thesis. My sponsor has not made any decision. This might be the last few days for me to be in the UK or I will stay on until my viva.

I would like to stay simply because it let me have more time and focus to prepare for my viva. I still have a lot to read and study before the viva because the viva is not just testing what I have written in my thesis but also what I should know about the field and the broader areas of the field. Yes, it is still a long way to go. 

Wassalam.

Long Distance Run

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

I don't know if you ever tried to do a long distance run. The longest race that I have ever participated is the 4km cross country race when I was doing my undergraduate in Malaysia. It took me about 24 minutes to complete the race and of course with that time, I didn't get to the top 3. I don't run anymore but I still love jogging and now cycling. The last time I did a proper endurance cycling was a 20-mile cycling practice. That took me about 1 hour and a half to complete. 

When I was running or cycling for a long distance, I know that I need to keep my energy enough to reach the finishing line, hence I will not be speeding in the beginning but it is important to get a head start to keep the pressure on others and book myself a better position. When the finishing line is within my sight, with all the energy left, I will rush to the end.

I thought my PhD is the same case as I am doing the long distance run. I started off quite fast though not rushed but still keeping myself ahead of most of my colleagues. But now I am near to the finishing line, I can see it and even taste a bit of it, but I just couldn't drag myself to the line. I thought maybe I have used too much energy in the beginning thus feeling burnt out at the moment but seeing a few of my colleagues have finished, I started to question myself, am I still running or just walking towards the finishing line. Don't get me wrong, we don't try to compete with each other, more so, we encourage each other.

I am walking and walking, sometimes taking a rest on the side and watch someone else running past me. Then I try to run again, but I can't catch my breath that I have to take a rest and walk again. Now that, the sun is going to set soon and the crowd and judges will have to leave, I have no choice but to try to get to the finishing line before the sun sets.

If you ask me do I want to finish the race, I am absolutely positive about it. If you ask me will I get there before the sun sets, I will inshaALLAH get there but I am not sure if I can break my personal best record. Too much of a perfectionist. That's my problem.

ALLAHU'alam.

Wassalam.

Experience Islam Week 2009

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Experience Islam Week 2009 here we go again. Hopefully it will be a success and inshaALLAH many many more non-muslims will come to learn and love Islam, and many more muslims will come closer to ALLAH through this event.

More information on here.

Wassalam.

The sit-in is over

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

After six days, the sit-in is finally over without any demand concretely met. I don't know to be happy or upset with the end of this issue, but I am certainly happy that none of the sisters that I know fall into those last 30ish of students who had to be "chucked" out of the faculty. 

I don't know who plotted the plan to break this sit-in and I don't know if they are clever or cunning in this plot. For many days, the university has been trying to get the students out. Last night, there was a CUSU (Cambridge University Students' Union) Council meeting to debate among many issues two motions relating to the sit-in (one for and one against). Although it's only some council members and the Presidents and External Officer of each college's JCR (Junior Common Room) and MCR (Middle Common Room) could vote, everyone can speak at the council. So, a big group of the people in the sit-in went out to attend the council meeting to support the motion which starts at 7.15pm. 

At around 7pm, the Registrar of the university issued a letter to them saying that those who trying to go in after leaving the building will be charged as trespassers. So, those who have left the building to attend the meeting, could not go in after that and the door to the building was locked and guarded by the university security. Around 10pm, when they came back after loosing the battle at the meeting, they could not go back to the sit-in, so some of them remain outside the door in the cold. This morning, at around 11am, all of them had to leave the building. More of the story can be found here. 

I personally supported the demands but I do not support the means. Hence, ISOC sent a letter to the Vice Chancellor stating our demands and sent press release to the university's newsletters. We also successfully passed a motion at the meeting last night for CUSU to acknowledge the humanitarian crisis in the region and support any student who want to raise awareness and money to help the situation.

Muslims should be peace-loving bunch of people. We should not disrupt others in the means we use to try to achieve our goal. Islam doesn't teach us that end justifies the means. There are so many other legal channels to get our voice heard. Probably less loud than this but at least we are not taking the rights of anyone away because the sit-in has created inconvenience to the students who use the lecture halls for classes. They have to move to small lecture halls and sat on the floor or stood at the door to listen to the lectures. The fact is that, after a few days of the sit-in, the Gaza issue is not the spotlight but the sit-in. People from sympathising the situation in Gaza as a result of the awareness raised through the sit-in, into hating to want to know more about it now. I don't know how much good the sit-in has done to the issue in Gaza, but it certainly has join in at least 18 other universities in the UK to occupy their universities to make sure that their demands are met. From the poll run by the university, from 2273 voters, less than 50% of the students believe that the university should grant demands 1, 2 and 4 but more than 50% of the students agree with demands 3, 5 & 6, and especially with disinvestment of arm trades. 

Anyway, we hope that our letter to the Vice Chancellor will receive a positive feedback and alhamdulillah this sit-in doesn't create a single noise that the stereotype extremist muslims are among those that created the chaos, even though it is a peaceful sit-in with some disruptions to the normal life of the students and staff of the Law Faculty. There were a handful of them in the sit-in but most of them went to the council meeting, hence they were not among those that had been taken out by the university this morning. 

Image is important because that's how dawah is made through examples and behaviours of the muslims. What I can learn from this is that only praiseworthy action will produce praiseworthy results; if we don't want people to continue occupy other people, we must not first be the occupier; never fight an injustice with another injustice; repel evils with good; do not do what you desire not from other to do to you.

ALLAHU'alam.

Wassalam.

Civil Disobedience

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Can we say that the sit-in in Cambridge is a form of Civil Disobedience?

I have learnt today from a sister that civil disobedience comes with the voluntary submission to the arrest and punishment by the authority, see here. Such is the nobility of a civil disobedience. But if the students demands that the University should not punish them for being disobedient to the authority, the sit-in has lost its nobility.

As students of this University, we signed the Matriculation Registration Form which reads:

"I promise to observe the Statutes and Ordinances of the University as far as they concern me, and to pay due respect and obedience to the Chancellor and other officers of the University"

Hence, the University's General Regulations No. 3 reads:

"No member of the University shall intentionally occupy or use any property of the University or of any College except as may be expressly or by implication authorized by the University or College authorities concerned."

For a student to break a contract after a signature has been put in, automatically, s/he will face the disciplinary procedure. For a muslim to break a covenant, it is as if s/he lower oneself to the status of a hypocrite because the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:"There are three signs of a htpocrite: whenever he speaks, he lies; whenever he makes a promise, he breaks it; and whenever he is trusted, he betrayed his trust." (Agreed upon).

I do not mean to accuse anyone of being a hypocrite, I just despise the act of breaking a promise. Fair enough, some of them may have forgotten that they have signed the contract with the university on their first day because of the excitement in getting into the university. But, often we forget about all these regulations and rules, we do not try to understand them and find ways to achieve our goals through legal channels by manipulating the regulations so that it favours our side. We lose our intellect and coolness in handling the current situation because of our incompetence in reading, understanding and manipulating these regulation and working our way up the bureaucratic ladder to dialogue with the authority in a diplomatic way.

If we failed in achieving our goal by following the regulations or correct interpretation of civil disobedience, we still can walk away with dignity and inshaALLAH the effort that we put in will gain pleasure and blessing from ALLAH.

ALLAHU'alam.

Wassalam.

Cambridge Sit-in

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Some 100 students of Cambridge University have staged a sit-in or they call it Occupation at the Law Faculty to imitate what other universities across the UK have been doing. Initially the muslims bunch of us are going to join but after a few thoughts and discussions, we decided that this should not be in our name. The sit-in is to demand the university to act on the crisis in Gaza. See here for more information. 

There are a few reasons for us not to join in. Besides the political reasons which I do not wish to publish here, I think fundamentally, as muslims, we should always strive to follow the footstep of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) in everything that we decide to do or if we want to do it in the name to Islam. Simply because we are hijabis, like it or not, whenever we go out and do something, people will recognise us firstly as muslims (even if we are doing it individually, not in the name of ISOC), especially when we are in a non-muslim country and muslims are always under the spot light in these recent years. It is already a damaging publicity for some muslims to act in a radical way to demand immediate solution like suicide bombing. We for sure do not want to use this sit-in to demand a shortcut and short-term solution to the crisis. Yes, if this sit-in is successful and the demands are made by the university, it is a good news but is that an example that we want others to learn from us? Does end justify the means?

There is no shortcut in this life and all shortcuts will lead to disaster at the end. Everyone wants to have an easy life, get what they want as quick and as effortless as possible. Yes, we should not waste our time and resources to achieve certain goals, yet, we are not told to do so by radical and extreme means. Muslims are moderate bunch of people. Has the Qur'an not taught us to be the people of the middle way?

"Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chosen from among Our servants; but of them is he who makes his soul to suffer a loss, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in deeds of goodness by ALLAH's permission; this is the great excellence." 

~ The Holy Qur'an, Surah al-Fatir (Chapter 35, The Originator) verse 32

Has the Prophet Muhammad (saw) taught us to act like extremists? When he (saw) and the earliest group of muslims were tortured, killed, persecuted, boycotted, harmed, oppressed until an extend that the Companions (ra) asked the Prophet Muhammad (saw) when will the help of ALLAH come, ALLAH replied:

"Or do you think that you would enter the Garden while yet the state of those who have passed away before you has not come upon you; distress and affliction befell them and they were shaken violently, so that the Messenger and those who believed with him said: When will the help of ALLAH come? Now surely the help of ALLAH is near!"

~ The Holy Qur'an, Surah al-Baqarah (Chapter 2, The Cow) verse 214

There had never been any extreme or radical action taken by the Prophet Muhammad (saw). Instead, everything was dealt with patience (sabr) because clearly ALLAH is with those who are patient. Shortcut is only taken by those who have no patient. If a shortcut means breaking the rules or creating discomfort or harm to others, that is clearly out of the fold of Islam. So, how can you demand something good by doing something bad? 

"Those who patiently persevere, seeking the countenance of their Lord; establish regular prayers; spend out of (the gifts), We have bestowed for their sustenance, secretly and openly; and turn off evil with good; for such there is the final attainment of the (Eternal) Home."

~ The Holy Qur'an, Surah ar-Rad (Chapter 13, The Thunder) verse 22

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) taught us to repel evils with good actions. Never fight an injustice with another injustice. When a blind Jewish lady cursed and humiliated the Prophet (saw) every morning on the street where the Prophet (saw) passed by daily, did he shout at her? No, instead, he gave her a date to eat. After years of tortured and finally the muslims conquered Makkah, did the Prophet (saw) took any revenge by killing or oppressing the non-muslims who used to do the same to the muslims? No, instead, he wanted good for them, pardoned them and preached them to be good, to follow the teaching of ALLAH.

Muslims don't take extreme actions even in extreme situations because under extreme circumstances, what matter is our patience and reliance on ALLAH. We plot, we pray and we act according to what ALLAH pleases and allows us to do. Whatever the outcomes from our actions done sincerely for the sake of ALLAH and on the path of ALLAH, we have to accept them with gratitude. If we measure the success by the yard stick of the Dunya, we will never be successful because the yard stick of the Akhirah is much more weighty than the Dunya's. 

In the time of crisis, let's pray for the best and act the way our beloved (saw) would act. And ALLAH alone is the One that will give us the rewards that we deserve.

ALLAHU'alam.

Wassalam.

Cambridge is 800 years old

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

On 17th January 2009, University of Cambridge was celebrating its 800th anniversary with a grand slide show on the Senate House and Old School Building, of all the achievements produced by the scholars of the university throughout the history. The fact is that this university has the most number of Nobel Prize laureates compare to any other higher institution across the world. The problem is, how can the university maintain such a reputation when Yale has just crossed Cambridge in the top ranking of the world universities making Cambridge now No. 3 in the world with Oxford trailing from behind?

Looking back at the history of scholarship during the Golden Era of Islam, the achievement in Science, Mathematics, Literature, Philosophy, Medicine, Astronomy, Sociology, Politics, etc., where are the muslims academics and scholars nowadays? From the top of the world at that time to where we are today, what went wrong? This might be a very interesting question for Cambridge to contemplate on if it wished to maintain its reputation for as long as it can.

Wassalam.

Gaza and Iman

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Sorry for not been blogging for a long time. I have been writing my thesis although it's not finish yet it will inshaALLAH come to an end soon, please keep make dua for me.

In the mean time, I have been also following the devastating and heart-breaking disaster in Gaza. What is happening there is the fault of all humanity. No one side only is taking the blame, nor a few parties of people or nations but it is the error done by all humanity in the 20th and 21st centuries. For the countries involved in the WW1 and WW2, for US, UN and British to "give" the Jews a piece of Palestinians land, for the continuing support of many countries all over the world to the US, not having the courage to speak out their stance and opposition to the US and Israel, fear of the economic and military power of the US, for the disunited arab countries and muslim countries, for the weak iman of the muslims all over the world, today we have this grave humanitarian crisis happening in the holy land of three biggest Abrahamic faiths in the world.

Iman is faith, to believe in at least a God. Since there is only one God under the Abrahamic tradition, there cannot be my one God and your one God, but all that we are worshipping is that the one and only the God. The simplest form of iman or faith as clearly said in the Quran consists of three principles:-

1. To believe in the God (which basically means belief in one God)
2. To believe in the Day of Judgement
3. To do righteous deeds

"Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."

~ The Holy Quran, Surah al-Baqarah (The Chapter of The Cow), verse 62

This simply just means that a human who has faith should only do good deeds (e.g., helping the poor and needy, uphold justice, be merciful, make peace, etc.) because what we do will be asked and judged on the Day of Judgement by the one and only - the God. If this doesn't make sense for you, we shall explain it from the reverse angle? If you believe in a God, a God who has the power over everything, who created the humans and the universe, who is the most merciful and most just, who created also the Day of Judgement to reward those who have done righteous deeds and punish those who have oppressed others and themselves, then, there is nothing to earn the mercy of the God and avoid the wrath of the God on the Day of Judgement except by doing the deeds that the God has prescribed for the humans, which basically are righteous deeds that will do good for oneself and the whole of humanity.

Come back to the crisis in Gaza, I just want to ask everyone (whatever your believe is), look into your heart and ask yourself, is what happening now something right? If you have even an ounce of mercy in your flesh and blood, will you not call for a ceasefire now? How many more sacred lives are we going to take? Knock the door of your faith, of your iman (for my muslim brothers and sisters), what will the God ask us on the Day of Judgement about what is happening now?

Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) told us that, "Whoever of you sees an evil, he must change it by his hand. If he cannot, then he must change it by his tongue, and if he cannot, then he must change it by his heart - and that is the weakest manifestation of faith" (Hadith collected by Imam Muslim). Are we not in the weakest state of iman now for not being able even to voice our discontent and disagreement or even to stop the wrong that is happening now?

Aren't upholding justice, peace and mercy; and forbidding injustice, oppression and killing, righteous deeds in the eyes of the God? Isn't this the teaching that we have learnt about iman? So where is your iman, my dear brothers and sisters? How will ALLAH help us if we don't even have that bit of iman in our heart? How will ALLAH answer our prayers if we don't even try to increase our faith?

ALLAHU'alam.

Wassalam.