hard time?
Lo! Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. Who fulfilleth His covenant better than Allah? Rejoice then in your bargain that ye have made, for that is the supreme triumph.(Triumphant) are those who turn repentant (to Allah), those who serve (Him), those who praise (Him), those who fast, those who bow down, those who fall prostrate (in worship), those who enjoin the right and who forbid the wrong and those who keep the limits (ordained) of Allah - And give glad tidings to believers!
At-Tawbah:111-112
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Kenapa Islam Liberal?
Salam.
Kenapa perlu saya menulis berkisarkan Islam Liberal?
Soalnya,kenapa tidak?
Dalam keadaan zaman yang kita diserang dari seluruh penjuru dunia,maka kenapa tidak layak untuk saya memilih salah satu daripada penyebab besar kekeliruan akidah ummat?
Sabar,saya tidak semberono mengeluar kenyataan.
Menurut saudara Nizam Mahshar,Setiausaha Persatuan Ulama Malaysia,ketika menjawab soalan yang diajukan kepada beliau dalam satu forum umum "Murtad,Punca dan Penyelesaiannya",(anjuran Islamic Propagation Society International/IPSI),Islam Liberal dan dakyah-dakyah mereka merupakan salah satu penyumbang besar kemurtadan dan kekeliruan akidah ummat Malaysia.
Sama sahaja bagi saya Liberal,Plural,Inklusif,Progresif,berilah sejuta nama sekalipun,selagi mana maruah Islam itu dicabar,maka ianya menghina maruah agama ini,yang dibumikan daripada pemilik segala jadian dan hidupan.
Maka waspadalah sahabat.
Tolak ansur bukan bermaksud menjual jatidiri.
Islam itu tinggi,dan tiada yang lebih tinggi daripadanya.
shazlee shah azeman
ara damansara
Kenapa perlu saya menulis berkisarkan Islam Liberal?
Soalnya,kenapa tidak?
Dalam keadaan zaman yang kita diserang dari seluruh penjuru dunia,maka kenapa tidak layak untuk saya memilih salah satu daripada penyebab besar kekeliruan akidah ummat?
Sabar,saya tidak semberono mengeluar kenyataan.
Menurut saudara Nizam Mahshar,Setiausaha Persatuan Ulama Malaysia,ketika menjawab soalan yang diajukan kepada beliau dalam satu forum umum "Murtad,Punca dan Penyelesaiannya",(anjuran Islamic Propagation Society International/IPSI),Islam Liberal dan dakyah-dakyah mereka merupakan salah satu penyumbang besar kemurtadan dan kekeliruan akidah ummat Malaysia.
Sama sahaja bagi saya Liberal,Plural,Inklusif,Progresif,berilah sejuta nama sekalipun,selagi mana maruah Islam itu dicabar,maka ianya menghina maruah agama ini,yang dibumikan daripada pemilik segala jadian dan hidupan.
Maka waspadalah sahabat.
Tolak ansur bukan bermaksud menjual jatidiri.
Islam itu tinggi,dan tiada yang lebih tinggi daripadanya.
shazlee shah azeman
ara damansara
Friday, February 6, 2009
Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 and The Quran:A Comparison.
Salam.
Its funny how things you do not understand inspire you so much.
Take Sonnet 18 as example.The beauty of Shakespeare's language in this particular is difficult to understand,unless to someone who masters an above-average level of knowledge on English literature.
For example,one of the lines in the sonnet sounds like this,"but thy eternal summer shall not fade",which if translated literally,it will be "but your eternal summer will not fade" as if the summer is belong to the one that Shakespeare is referring to,which is not logic of course.But if you refer to the analysis which I read at this website,it states that actually Shakespeare was referring the beauty of his lover with the sunny,warm,and temperate summer at that time.
And yet,the need-to-explain words of Shakespeare has won many hearts of English and literature lovers.
That also goes with Quran,which there are many not understandable phrases and ayah(sentence),explanation-required ones,and direct ones,but still it is the one that being referred by Muslim as a Holy book.
An ayah in Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow),2:255 which is لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِى الدِّي ("There is no compulsion in religion") is always falsely interpreted by Pluralist Islamic thinkers.They claim that this ayah means that you cannot force any Muslim to his or her obligations towards Islam.So Muslims can choose whether to salah(pray) or not to pray,to fast or not to,to wear hijjab or not to wear it.
Question is,is that interpretation valid?
Ibn Kathir was an expert in Quran translation and tafsir.He quoted only the tafsirs from Ibn Abbas and Ibn Masoud,and their students.Both Ibn Abbas and Ibn Masoud were the only ones that were recognized by Prophet Muhammad as those whose tafsirs are the most accurate.According to Ibn Kathir, on Quran translation and tafsir,the ayah "There is no compulsion in religion" means that you cannot force any body to become a Muslim,in which if you are already a Muslim,then you must follow all the obligations as a Muslim,as also clarified by the other ayah,2:209,"O you who believe! Enter Silm perfectly, and follow not the footsteps of Shaytan (Satan)".
In a narration by Ibn Abbas,this particular ayah (2:255) was revealed related to a story of Husain from the Ansar that had two Christian children,and Husain himself was a Muslim.He asked The Prophet "Can I force them into Islam?" And this ayah revealed.
The Pluralist,they tend to say that you should have your own understanding and interpretation of the Quran,as the world is changing,and the old views is obsolete and is not valid anymore.But what making me thinking is,the whole world is accepting to accept Sonnet 18 interpretation as what was meant by Shakespeare,so why must the Quran be interpreted differently?
It is logic that the meaning of any writings is only understandable by its author,which in Quran's case,of course The Creator of Mankind,Allah The All Known.Therefore,the most accurate tafsir is that narrated by Ibn Abbas and Ibn Masoud,as they were recognized by the Messenger of Allah.
I rest my case.
I pray for Allah forgiveness for us,I hope that He grant us with a good understanding of Islam,and that we can be good Muslims who are sensitive to the authenticity and sanctity of this deen.
shazlee shah azeman
kota damansara
7th February 2009
Its funny how things you do not understand inspire you so much.
Take Sonnet 18 as example.The beauty of Shakespeare's language in this particular is difficult to understand,unless to someone who masters an above-average level of knowledge on English literature.
For example,one of the lines in the sonnet sounds like this,"but thy eternal summer shall not fade",which if translated literally,it will be "but your eternal summer will not fade" as if the summer is belong to the one that Shakespeare is referring to,which is not logic of course.But if you refer to the analysis which I read at this website,it states that actually Shakespeare was referring the beauty of his lover with the sunny,warm,and temperate summer at that time.
And yet,the need-to-explain words of Shakespeare has won many hearts of English and literature lovers.
That also goes with Quran,which there are many not understandable phrases and ayah(sentence),explanation-required ones,and direct ones,but still it is the one that being referred by Muslim as a Holy book.
An ayah in Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow),2:255 which is لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِى الدِّي ("There is no compulsion in religion") is always falsely interpreted by Pluralist Islamic thinkers.They claim that this ayah means that you cannot force any Muslim to his or her obligations towards Islam.So Muslims can choose whether to salah(pray) or not to pray,to fast or not to,to wear hijjab or not to wear it.
Question is,is that interpretation valid?
Ibn Kathir was an expert in Quran translation and tafsir.He quoted only the tafsirs from Ibn Abbas and Ibn Masoud,and their students.Both Ibn Abbas and Ibn Masoud were the only ones that were recognized by Prophet Muhammad as those whose tafsirs are the most accurate.According to Ibn Kathir, on Quran translation and tafsir,the ayah "There is no compulsion in religion" means that you cannot force any body to become a Muslim,in which if you are already a Muslim,then you must follow all the obligations as a Muslim,as also clarified by the other ayah,2:209,"O you who believe! Enter Silm perfectly, and follow not the footsteps of Shaytan (Satan)".
In a narration by Ibn Abbas,this particular ayah (2:255) was revealed related to a story of Husain from the Ansar that had two Christian children,and Husain himself was a Muslim.He asked The Prophet "Can I force them into Islam?" And this ayah revealed.
The Pluralist,they tend to say that you should have your own understanding and interpretation of the Quran,as the world is changing,and the old views is obsolete and is not valid anymore.But what making me thinking is,the whole world is accepting to accept Sonnet 18 interpretation as what was meant by Shakespeare,so why must the Quran be interpreted differently?
It is logic that the meaning of any writings is only understandable by its author,which in Quran's case,of course The Creator of Mankind,Allah The All Known.Therefore,the most accurate tafsir is that narrated by Ibn Abbas and Ibn Masoud,as they were recognized by the Messenger of Allah.
I rest my case.
I pray for Allah forgiveness for us,I hope that He grant us with a good understanding of Islam,and that we can be good Muslims who are sensitive to the authenticity and sanctity of this deen.
shazlee shah azeman
kota damansara
7th February 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A view on the usage of term "Allah" by Herald Catholics.
Salam.
Why,in the sake of so-called defending their sanctity of their religion,Muslim claim that the word "Allah" is just exclusive to the Quran,and other Islamic publications,not to other religions' manuscripts or documents?
The intensity of the anger,or rather 'jealousy' that non-Muslim are having when Herald Catholic are claiming for using the word "Allah" in their circulars,is making me feel obligated to clarify certain things to them.I believe that the best approach is to educate them,that,the "exclusiveness" of using the word,to only to Muslim, does not mean that Muslim are hating or are annoyed by the fact that Herald Catholics (or maybe other non-Muslim organizations) are using the word.
Please,I insist,read the article below:
______________________________________________________
Sumayyah Meehan reverted to Islam almost 11 years ago. She is a Waynesburg College graduate with a BA in criminal justice. She is working on an Islamic children's book. She resides in Kuwait with her husband and three children.
Why,in the sake of so-called defending their sanctity of their religion,Muslim claim that the word "Allah" is just exclusive to the Quran,and other Islamic publications,not to other religions' manuscripts or documents?
The intensity of the anger,or rather 'jealousy' that non-Muslim are having when Herald Catholic are claiming for using the word "Allah" in their circulars,is making me feel obligated to clarify certain things to them.I believe that the best approach is to educate them,that,the "exclusiveness" of using the word,to only to Muslim, does not mean that Muslim are hating or are annoyed by the fact that Herald Catholics (or maybe other non-Muslim organizations) are using the word.
Please,I insist,read the article below:
Who Is "Allah"?
By Sumayyah Meehan
The name "Allah" is a word that is heard quite often these days whether it is on the television or passed along in conversation. But most non-Muslims have no idea who Allah is.
Some mistakenly believe that Allah is a deity that Muslims worship similar to the way in which Buddhists worship Buddha. Others think that Allah is a man or a prophet. Just the name "Allah" is so shrouded in mystery because most people never take the time to unravel the meaning.Rather they believe what they see portrayed in the heavily biased media and allow their fears to take hold of their chests instead of seeking out the truth for themselves.
The meaning of Allah is so simple. Allah is the Arabic form of the word "The One True God". Muslims worship the exact same God that Jews and Christians do.
However, Muslims prefer to call God by His proper name Allah and refrain from using the word "god" itself since it can be attributed to so many other things. For example, in proper English the feminine form of "god" is "goddess" and let’s look at Greek Mythology where the Greeks worshipped many "gods".
Muslims believe that Allah is the One and Only God without partners and that the name "Allah" is unique to the sole Creator of this World and everything in it. To liken Allah to another supposed god in any way shape or form is to commit the one unforgivable sin of shirk, or ascribing partners to Allah.Muslims believe in submitting their entire will to Allah through acts of worship, obedience and good deeds.
Islam is the only religion on Earth that remained purely monotheistic. Each time a Muslim prays to Allah, he has a meeting with the Lord of this World without an intercessor or mediator.
Muslims believe in submitting their entire will to Allah through acts of worship, obedience and good deeds. Muslims believe that Allah is ever-present watching over His Creation and is always close to them.
Allah says in the Quran what means,
[And indeed We have created man, and We know what his own self whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge).] (Qaf 50:16)
The Quran reveals that there are Beautiful Names of Allah, which is how Muslims get to know the Creator. Muslims are forbidden to ponder upon Allah’s appearance or to attribute Him to anything in this World as some faiths liken Allah to man. Islam rejects this entirely. We can know about Allah from His beautiful names of which Prophet Muhammad said:
"Verily, there are ninety-nine names of God, one hundred minus one. He who enumerates (and believes in them) them would get into Paradise." (Al-Bukhari)
Some of the names are:
Al-Wadud — The Loving
Al-Khaliq — The Creator
Al-Ahad — The One
Al-Aziz — The Mighty and Strong
Allah gave mankind one final chance to be mindful of Him and to obey Him.
According to Islam, the message of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad is the very same one that was given to the Jews and Christians.
However, meanings were lost in translation and the books revealed to past generations were corrupted and distorted by the hands of humans.
The Quran is the last book that Allah gave to humans and it is preserved which means Allah will safeguard it from corruption. Over the past 14 centuries, not a single letter has been changed or altered. No more books or Prophets will come to this world. And it is up to humans as to whether they believe in this final message or turn their backs on it as scores have done before and continue to do every day.
The best way for humans to understand Allah as the Creator is to open their eyes and see His design. Who else but Allah could create a flower as perfect as the rose? Or cover Earth with so much vegetation and foliage that scientists today are still unearthing new species?
Allah is the Most Kind and the Most Merciful. All that Allah has asked for humans to do is to be pious, worship Him alone and be kind to our fellow man. In return, humans are the veritable owners of the Earth to rule it as they see fit as Allah continuously showers His innumerable blessings upon humanity as well as punishments for those who disobey and wreak havoc on the Earth.
Islam is not a new religion or something that a few simply chose one day to follow. Islam is a continuation of the previous messages that were revealed to past Prophets.
Prophet Muhammad seals the line of prophets who came to this world both to warn humans and give glad tidings of Allah's mercy. It is only through Allah's love and mercy for mankind that He bothered to send prophets so that we may know Him… the One and Only God.
______________________________________________________
Sumayyah Meehan reverted to Islam almost 11 years ago. She is a Waynesburg College graduate with a BA in criminal justice. She is working on an Islamic children's book. She resides in Kuwait with her husband and three children.
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