Keutamaan Jihad

Dalam catatan ini, ada dua hadits sahih daripada kitab Sahih Al-Bukhari yang dimuatkan. Saya sekadar mencatatkan apa yang telah disusun oleh penyusun yang asal iaitu Al-Imam Zainuddin Ahmad dan diterjemah ke dalam bahasa Inggeris oleh Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan.

Mudah-mudahan beroleh pahala dan manfaat berterusan, bertambah perasaan cinta akan Nabi kita Nabi Muhammad shollallahu 'alaihi wa sallam serta diberikan kemudahan dan kekuatan untuk melaksanakan jihad demi agama Islam yang mulia ini.

Semoga Allah menjadikan kita dari kalangan mujahidin (orang-orang yang berjihad pada jalan Allah) dan dibangkitkan bersama mereka di Hari Kiamat nanti.

The Book of Jihad (Fighting for Allah's Cause)

Chapter 1. The superiority of Jihad[1]

1204. Narrated Abu Huraira rodhiyallahu 'anhu:

A man came to Allah's Messenger shollallahu 'alaihi wa sallam and said,

"Guide to me such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward)."

He replied,

"I do not find such a deed."

Then he added,

"Can you, while the Muslim fighter has gone for Jihad, enter your mosque to perform Salat (prayers) without cease and observe Saum (fasting) and never break your Saum (fast)?"

The man said,

"But who can do that?"[2]

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[1] Al-Jihad (the holy fighting) in Allah's Cause (with full force of number and weaponry) is given the utmost importance in Islam and is one of its pillar (on which it stands). By Jihad Islam is established, Allah's Word is made superior, [His word being Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (which means: none has the right to be worshiped but Allah)] and His religion (Islam) is propagated. By abandoning Jihad (may Allah protect us from that) Islam is destroyed and the Muslims fall into an inferior position; their honour is lost, their lands are stolen, their rule and authority vanish. Jihad is an obligatory duty in Islam on every Muslim, and he who tries to escape from this duty, or does not in his innermost heart wish to fulfill this duty, dies with one of the qualities of a hypocrite.

[2] Of course, nobody can offer Salat (prayer) and observe Saum (fast) incessantly, and since the Muslim fighter is rewarded as if he was doing such good impossible deeds, no possible deed equals Jihad in reward.

Chapter 2: The best among the people is that believer who strives his utmost in Allah's Cause with both his life and property.

1205.

Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri rodhiyallahu 'anhu:

Somebody asked,

"O Allah's Messenger! Who is the best among the people?"

Allah's Messenger shollallahu 'alaihi wa sallam replied,

"A believer who strives his utmost in Allah's Cause with his life and property."

They asked,

"Who is next?"

He replied,

"A believer who stays in one of the mountain paths worshiping Allah and leaving the people secure from his mischief." [1]

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[1] This is true in times of afflictions and disorder, otherwise social life is better than seclusion as the Prophet shollallahu 'alaihi wa sallam says in a Hadith reported by At-Tirmidhi,

"He who mixes with people and endures their mischief is better rewarded than he who does not mix with people and does not endure their mischief." (Qastalani, Vol. 5, Page 34)

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Kajian lanjut/rujukan (Futher study/ reference)

Summarized Sahih Al-Bukhari Arabic-English, Translated by Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan, 1996, Darussalam Publishers and Distributors, Riyadh, page 580.

Allah is All Forgiving

Photo from here.

We human beings are always commiting sins, either minor or major ones. We are not protected (ma'sum) from committing sins as all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah are. The best people of those who commit the sins are the people who make repentance (taubah), acknowledge all the sins they have committed, and truly believe that there is only Allah, no god but Him, and He is The One who can forgive the sins or punish them because of those sins.

This is what had been said by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), as in the following hadeeth:

An-Nawawi’s Hadith No.42

On the authority of Anas (Radhiallaho anha) who said:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) saying:

Allah the Almighty has said:"O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it."

Related by at-Tirmidhi, who stated that it was a Hasan (fair) and Sahih (sound) Hadith.

May Allah make us the people who always make taubah, and are forgiven by Allah for all the sins that have been committed.

Al-Faqir ilaLlah al-Ghaffar,

Mohd Ikhwan bin Ahmad Zhaki

*Text of the hadeeth is taken from here.

Some Tips to be Successful in Academic

This picture was taken from here.

Assalamu'alaikum everyone. I am happy to share with you some of the tips I received during my first year geology course at Adelaide University (2009). Credit is given to my dedicated lecturer Dr. Karin. The original article was prepared by her, and adapted from WH Freeman website.

May Allah make this information useful and practical for us and all the other people.

This tips sharing may be more revolving around geology courses. Nevertheless, the common points can be practiced in other field or discipline as well.

1. Use the recommended textbooks in a smart way.

Chapters: Each chapter begins with an outline of what will be covered, and ends with a dot point summary of the important ideas of the chapter. Before reading a chapter of the book, we have to read the chapter summary first. Consequently, this will provide us with a way to organize our reading and study.

Key Terms: The key terms are printed in bold within the textbook. We can further speed up our reading time by being observant and watchful for key terms in bold. When we see such a bolded term we know it is the most important concept in that paragraph. Focus on understanding that concept. Read with purpose. Furthermore, the author provides a list of key terms at the end of the chapter, and the page on which it is defined.

2. Preparation before lecture.

Preview: Why preview is important and helpful?

Introductory courses can be difficult. There are lots of new terms, new ideas, and new skills during a first semester geology course. However, we need to wise to ask: "Which ideas are 'important'?" How do we focus our effort? We need to arrive at class with an overview of the lecture already in mind. An overview means we have already identified what geological process will be explained and what key questions the lecture will answer.

How do we get the overview?

We just need to spend a few minutes before lecture previewing the chapter that will be covered.

Step 1: Skim the text. Look for the three or four most important questions the material will cover.

Step 2: List the questions. Limit ourselves to just three or four so you will be sure to remember our framework during lecture. However, be sure that we identify the questions that are the most important for us.

Step 3: Answer the questions. Spend the rest of our pre-lecture study time finding preliminary answers in our text. Read just enough to get idea of the answer. Do not allow ourselves to get lost in details.

3. Attend the lectures.

During lecture:

Our basic goal during lecture is to get a good set of notes. To avoid getting lost in details, keep the big picture in mind: Bring our printed lecture notes to class so that we are able to amend them throughout the lecture.

As we listen to lecture, identify questions you need to ask to understand the material. Try to formulate at least one good question we can ask during every lecture.

The most important task during lecture is definitely taking a good set of notes. Note taking is not easy. It is a skill that improves with practice.

Here are a few tips that will help insure you take an excellent set of notes.

4. Make an excellent set of notes.

Note Taking Checklist

• Organize our notes in a binder so that we can easily reorganize them.
• Date each day's notes so you can find material later.
• Take notes in a format that makes the main topics and concepts easy to be identified. Some students accomplish this by taking notes in outline format.
• But many other approaches are possible to be done. Visual learners may find it helpful to highlight main points (after class) in colour.
• Keep the preview questions in front of us during lecture. Be sure to leave class with good answers to each of the three preview questions.
• Indicate areas where we need to follow-up work with our text, instructor or demonstrator with a question mark in the margin.
• Indicate possible test questions by putting a "TQ" (Test Question) in the left margin where we can easily see it.

After Lecture

5. Review Our Notes

• Right after lecture, while the material is fresh in our mind, is the perfect time to review our notes. Review to be sure we understand the key points and wrote them down in a form that will be readable later.
• Do not postpone this activity. Immediately after lecture much of what was said will still be in our short-term memory. If we missed something we will still remember it and be able to put in our notes. But short-term memory is just that. Wait even one day and we will have forgotten eighty percent (80%) or more of that important points.
• The basic idea of reviewing our notes is to fill in what we missed and add helpful material from the text.

6. Intensive Study Session

• We should schedule at least one hour after each lecture for intensive study. This can occur anytime before the next lecture. (Short-term memory is no longer a problem since we have completed note review; we have a good set of notes to work with).
• Why do we need an intensive study session? We learn geology as much we would build a house. Before each lecture, construct a frame of questions. During lecture, attach details and ideas to the frame. After lecture, master those ideas during an intensive study session. Each chapter support those above it. If we do not completely master this chapter the next will be more difficult.
• Schedule at least one hour after each lecture for intensive study. Devote this time to mastering key concepts. Mastery is not gained by just reading the text. Mastery occurs as the result of asking ourselves questions (and answering them).

7. Preparing for Tests/Exams.

Our lecturers are the ultimate guide in regard to the question "What is important?".

Be sure we know the format of the exam. Is it multiple choice, true false or essay?

Be sure to attend review sessions if these are offered.

Once we are clear about the nature of the exam, begin our review. Conduct review in an orderly systematic manner that insures focused review of all the important material.

Exams Preparation: Seven days study method.

• Day one: Getting organized.
• Day two: Study 1/4 of the material.
• Day three: Study second 1/4 of the material.
• Day four: Study third 1/4 of the material.
• Day five: Study fourth 1/4 of the material.
• Day six: Review all material.
• Day seven: Exam day, stay focused, and be confident.

The day of the test:

• Get a good night's rest. Being able to think clearly will help us more than those last few facts we crammed in, particularly if we attend class regularly.
• Review our notes or summary sheets to ease our mind. We probably know more than we think we do if we have been studious.
• When taking the test, try to stay calm. Do not expect to know everything. Skip the questions we do not know immediately and come back to them when we have completed the exam.

After all, do not forget:

• To always make du'a (prayer) to Allah; ask Him to guide and help us.
• Allah is The All-Hearing, All-Knowing and He answers all the du'a made to Him.
• Trust Allah wholeheartedly.
• Correct and purify our intention, make it always in the purpose to seek His blessings. Insya Allah, each moment spent on our study is counted as 'ibadah.

May Allah make us from those who listen to the saying and follow the best of it.

Unrealized Misstep

Thank God for everything He had allowed to befall upon us. Insha ALLAH, there are always countless wisdom and lesson for us to learn.

We agree with the philosophical words " human is imperfect, and always associated with weakness." Yes, it is true. Nevertheless, as a very positive thinking believer (mu'min), we should always do our best to enhance the quality of our lives. Learn from whatever incidents happen to us. ALLAH will never allow test and tribulation that are beyond our endurance, to befall upon us. If we encounter such a sad and trial situation, just smile sincerely and aprreaciate our Lord for this form of His love. Insha ALLAH, we are about to be at higher level and quality of life as His servants.

People around us are not always predictable. At times, they can be either happy or unhappy with us. Even we try our best to be very nice towards them, they might be unhappy with us. Why? I would like to emphasize on the point " unrealized misstep". Yes, we are unable to judge ourselves alone, without having other people's opinion. Sometimes, we do not realize and recognize our own misleading action and mistake. Consequently, they would feel uncomfortable and accumulate their anger towards us. A practical way to avoid such unforgettable and unhappy situation, especially if it involves and affects our relationship with them, let us be proactive and with pure sincerity to ask them frequently about what they think and feel towards us. Ask them to tell us whatever mistake we have been doing towards them. Insha ALLAH, it would be much easier for us to correct the mistake and stop making other people unhappy.

Anger. Angry. Scold. Unsatisfied.

Be strong. This is world. Not the hereafter. Stand firmly in reality. We are not in imagination. Be prepared to face so many kinds of people. They might do anything beyond expectation.

Get scolded.

Be patient. This is really beyond our capability to control it. Try to be cool, and do not respond to their scold with the same tone of anger. Relax our mind. We are believers, and not expected to practice such rude behaviour towards other people. Istighfar ( ask for His forgiveness) and remembering Him would cure our demoralized feelings.

Other people can do so many horrible actions to us. The smallest they can do is scolding us, and the biggest could be killing our life. Believe in ALLAH, He is our best Protector. Always pray for His protection upon us.

قَالَ هَلْ آمَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ كَمَا أَمِنتُكُمْ عَلَى أَخِيهِ مِن قَبْلُ فَاللّهُ خَيْرٌ حَافِظًا وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

[Jacob] replied: "Shall I trust you with him in the same way as I trusted you with his brother (Joseph] aforetime? [Nay,] but God's guardianship is better [than yours], for He is the most merciful of the merciful!"

Surah Yusuf,12: Verse 64

An invaluable lesson I had just learned in Adelaide:

"O ALLAH, I will never be able to obtain satisfaction of all the people towards my actions. Please forgive me O ALLAH, and I will sacrifice whatever I have to seek Your blessing and mercy. O Lord, be pleased towards me since I will never be able to make all people pleased with me ."

Appoint Ample Space

Salamullah 'alaikum,

All praise belongs to our Lord, ALLAH s.w.t. , peace be upon His Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions.


Sometimes in our lives, do we need to fill something so precious into some already occupied space? While the already space occupying stuff are less precious than the one that we need to put into it, what shall we do?

It is just a notably analogy of filling water into a glass. Ensure that the glass is empty and clean. Remove anything inside it and effortlessly we will be able to fill the glass the water.

The same philosophy applies for the process of memorizing The Holy Al-Quran. Stop for a while and let us check what are inside our heart? Are they essential or not? Since the The Holy Quran are the sacred words from ALLAH, it is undoubtedly necessary for us to cleanse our heart and appoint ample space inside it for the God's sacred words to enter it and abide for assuredly a long time ( insha ALLAH, until our last breath of obedience in this world).

Appoint ample space in our heart for the holy verses from God. Along the process of memorizing them, stop thinking of any other affair. Beyond doubt, it is one of the manners (adaab) during the process memorizing al-Quran that we need to really empty our mind from thinking all unrelated matters.

May ALLAH endow us with His blessings and make our daily affairs easy, especially our struggle to memorize His Final Book with true sincerity.

Torrensville, SA.

O ALLAH, unto You is our tawakkal, save us with Your endless blessings in this world and hereafter!