Thursday, June 24, 2010

DINIHARI DARUL HANAN



Alhamdulillah...
Beres satu kem bina insan...

Terima kasih kepada mereka yang sudi membantu, daripada alumni falahiah dan alumni kangkong...
Allah sahaja yang mampu membalas jasa perjuangan kalian...
Ma'assalamah

Sunday, June 20, 2010

GHAZALI's 6 STEPS TOWARD CHANGE



Imam Ghazâlî (450 - 505 AH; 1058 - 1111CE) identifies the following 6 steps one can take in the process of change and growth:

Mushâratah: to make an agreement or contract. (‘shart’ = stipulation)
In this step one must identify and set standards, conditions, limits, terms and guidelines for one’s own thoughts, feelings and actions one is trying to achieve.

Murâqabah: to guard. (‘raqab’ = guard)
In this step one must meditate before one’s actions. This involves that one must think, contemplate, be introspective and keep watch over one’s own self. We function as our own observer.

Muhâsabah: to evaluate self, taking account. (‘hisab’ = account)
This step involves self-examination and one takes account of one’s own actions
and continuously checks if one is upholding the agreement.

Muâqabah: to punish, to control. (‘aqabah’ = punish)
For the contract to work we set consequences for ourselves when we have done something wrong and fail to keep the stipulations we agreed to uphold.

Mujâhadah: to make effort, striving.(‘jahd’ = effort)
In this step one is fighting against one’s own lower self and inclinations.
This is the stage of continuous and consistent struggle to overcome one’s nafs.

Muâtabah: to rebuke. (‘atab’ = repent)
In this step, if one has failed to maintain the contract, we make the effort to
turn around, regretting and changing one’s ways on recognizing the error.


Imam Ghazâlî in his ‘Ihya Ulûm ud Dîn’ explains these steps using the analogy
of a business partnership. He explains that a business is done to make profit
and to gain something from it. In a business partnership we start by setting guidelines and make an agreement for conducting that business, rules and stipulations are established for what to do and what to expect.

The next step is to guard and honor that contract and to keep a watchful eye
on the process to ensure its success. We need to continually evaluate all our thoughts, actions, decisions and choices.

Usually in a business there are consequences when the contract is not honored.
If we do not honor our own contract to change, we must set some consequences
for ourselves for failing.

Constant effort and struggle is necessary for the business to succeed and that
is what we need to do if we want to be successful in bringing about change.
Finally when there are mistakes we correct them, make amends and try to turn
the business around so it can become profitable. In the same manner we must
correct our errors and make amends as soon as we recognize the error.

In essence a successful business is based on solid contracts that are honored, everyone is held accountable and responsible, constant effort is made at finding
and correcting the failures, with the focus being on improving the business to
make profit.

Hence, to bring about change in our personal self, we need to view our life as
a business that will produce some net gain or loss depending on how we conduct
it.

Imam Ghazâlî suggests that we must take a few minutes in the morning and make
a contract with ourselves about how we will conduct this business of life, consciously try to maintain it, and then spend some time at night evaluating
how we did during the day; we will then live with more awareness and will be
able to improve the quality of our life.

Reference:
Ghazâlî. ‘Ihya Ulum ud Din’ (The Revival of Religious Learnings)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

6 Perkara Mendorong Seseorang Mengumpat Menurut Imam Al-Ghazali

SIKAP suka mengumpat atau menceritakan keburukan dan kelemahan orang lain
dilaknat oleh Allah.

Mereka yang bersikap demikian, secara disedari atau tidak mencela dan
mengaibkan orang lain yang hukumnya berdosa besar.

Ketika berbual, sama ada secara sengaja atau tidak, mereka menceritakan
keburukan ketuanya, jiran, saudara mara dan orang yang lalu di hadapan
mereka.

Firman Allah bermaksud: "Hai orang yang beriman, kalau datang kepada kamu
orang jahat membawa berita, periksalah dengan saksama supaya kamu jangan
sampai mencelakakan suatu kaum yang tidak diketahui, kemudian kamu menyesal
di atas perbuatanmu itu." (Surah al-Hujurat, ayat 6)

Sabda Rasulullah saw seperti yang diriwayatkan oleh Al-Thabrani daripada
Abu Hurairah bermaksud: "Yang paling dikasihi Allah antara kamu ialah mereka
yang baik akhlaknya, merendah diri, suka pada orang dan disukai orang. Dan
yang paling dimarahi Allah ialah mereka yang membawa fitnah, mencerai
beraikan di antara sesama saudara dan mencaci orang yang tidak bersalah."

Dalam hadis yang lain baginda juga ada menceritakan tentang keburukan
mengumpat, mafhum daripada hadis yang panjang itu bahawa roh mukmin yang
mengumpat itu tidak diterima oleh Allah swt, bahkan tidak dapat melepasi
walaupun di tapisan langit pertama. Roh itu akan dicampak kembali oleh
malaikat dari langit kepada jasadnya di bumi untuk diseksa.
Na'uzubillahi min zalik.

Imam al-Ghazali ada menyebut enam perkara yang mendorong seseorang itu
mengumpat;

1. Ingin memuaskan hati disebabkan kemarahan yang memuncak hingga sanggup
mendedahkan keaiban dan kesalahan orang lain. Jika kemarahan tidak dapat
dikawal, ia boleh menimbulkan hasad dan dendam;

2. Suka mendengar dan mengikuti perbualan orang yang menyerang peribadi
dan kehormatan seseorang;

3. Mahu bersaing dan menonjolkan diri dengan menganggap orang lain bodoh
dan rendah;

4. Disebabkan dengki, dia iri hati dengan orang lain yang lebih beruntung
dan berjaya, seperti dinaikkan gaji dan pangkat;

5. Bergurau dan suka melawak untuk mencela dan mengatakan kelemahan dan
kecacatan hingga mengaibkan orang lain; dan

6. Sikap suka mengejek dan mencela disebabkan rasa bongkak dan sombong
kerana memandang rendah orang lain.

Sehubungan itu, Imam al-Ghazali menyarankan cara-cara untuk
menghentikan sikap suka mengumpat, antaranya ialah;

Harus sedar dan insaf mengumpat dan memburuk-burukkan orang lain itu
berdosa besar;

Sedar dan membetulkan kesalahan sendiri daripada menyalahkan orang; dan

Hendaklah berasa malu apabila memperli kecacatan orang lain. Ini kerana
mencela kecacatan makhluq, seolah-olah mencerca Tuhan yang menciptakan.


Sebagaimana beliau pernah bertanya kepada murid-muridnya :

"Apakah yang paling tajam di dunia ini?".

Murid-muridnya menjawab dengan serentak, pedang...

Benar kata Imam Ghazali, tapi yang paling tajam adalah "lidah manusia". Karena melalui lidah, manusia dengan rakusnya dapat menyakiti hati dan melukai perasaan saudaranya sendiri.

Wallahu a'lam