Kita tidak patut hidup dalam keadaan autopilot, di mana semuanya otomatik tanpa sebarang consideration ataupun refleksi - bangun, kerja, makan, tidur, bangun, kerja, makan, tidur, dan ulang balik.
Sebaliknya, setiap detik kehidupan kita perlu kita fikirkan dan tapis melalui prinsip hidup yang kita pegang. Prinsip hidup inilah yang memberi makna kepada kehidupan. Prinsip hidup ini juga menjadi asas kepada tujuan hidup yang memberi motivasi kepada diri untuk terus-menerus membaiki diri supaya tujuan hidup itu dapat dicapai.
Tapi, apakah prinsip hidup itu dan apakah tujuan hidup yang kita ingin capai?
Mudah untuk saya berikan jawapan daripada buku teks untuk menjawab soalan tersebut, tapi menyuap jawapan tidak memberi impak kalau kita tidak fahami dan hayati jawapan tersebut.
Pemahaman dan penghayatan akan datang apabila kita sendiri yang memulakan pencarian, bukannya mengharapkan suapan mulut. Kita yang harus merasakan tanggungjawab kepada diri sendiri untuk mencari jawapan kepada soalan-soalan penting kehidupan.
Soalan-soalan penting kehidupan adalah:
Siapakah aku?
Dari mana aku datang?
Mengapa aku di sini?
Ke mana aku ingin pergi?
Bagaimana aku tahu kebenaran itu kebenaran?
Soalan-soalan ini perlu ditanya oleh setiap individu kepada diri sendiri dan jawapan kepada setiap satu daripadanya harus datang daripada usaha gigih masing-masing. Soalan-soalan seperti inilah yang membentuk prinsip diri dan dari situ kita dapat melakar tujuan hidup kita atas muka bumi ini.
Tanpa tujuan hidup, kehidupan kita menjadi tidak bermakna. Kita tidak dapat melalui hidup yang penuh dengan erti. Tambahan pula, tanpa tujuan hidup yang kuat, makna kehidupan kita juga tidak akan kuat.
Contohnya, jika tujuan hidup kita ialah untuk memuaskan diri semata-mata maka makna kehidupan kita lemah. Kita menjadikan diri sendiri sebagai paksi kehidupan sedangkan diri kita sendiri itu lemah. Jika paksi kehidupan kita lemah, maka makna kehidupan kita lemah. Akibatnya, kita akan mudah jatuh dan kita akan susah untuk bangun kembali.
Maka, sesi berfikir harus bermula. Alhamdulillah, bulan Ramadan akan tiba tidak lama lagi dan ia merupakan masa yang paling optimum untuk refleksi dan pembaikan diri. Tapi kita tidak patut tunggu sehingga Ramadan untuk memulakan proses ini kerana tidak akan jaminan bahawa kita akan sempat menemui Ramadan.
Mulai sekarang, masukkan sesi pemikiran ini dalam rejimen spiritual masing-masing dan cuba untuk mencari jawapan kepada soalan-soalan penting kehidupan.
Carilah jawapan dengan berguru, membaca, dan bertanya. Carilah jawapan sehingga sebarang ragu-ragu dapat dihapuskan, keyakinan diri yang utuh dapat dibina, dan hidup penuh erti dapat dicapai.
Penulis: Aiman Azlan
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Maaf Zahir Batin
Sukar meminta maaf merupakan satu petanda ego yang degil. Sukar memaafkan juga merupakan satu petanda ego yang degil.
Bagi mereka yang sukar untuk memaafkan, rata-rata sebab yang diutarakan sebagai justifikasi ialah, "Dia tidak layak mendapat kemaafan aku."
Jika Allah boleh memaafkan seorang hamba-Nya yang membunuh 100 orang (seperti dalam hadis yang menceritakan kisah ini), maka bagaimana pula kita boleh berhujah bahawa seseorang itu "tidak layak" mendapat kemaafan kita?
Apakah kemaafan kita lebih tinggi daripada kemaafan Allah sehinggakan kita merasakan bahawa orang lain perlu mendapat kelayakan terlebih dahulu?
Ya, mungkin benar bahawa perbuatan buruknya terhadap kita itu meninggalkan kesan luka yang mendalam. Ya, mungkin benar bahawa perbuatannya itu tidak layak dimaafkan, jika kita menilai mengikut ukuran biasa manusia.
Jika hak kita dirompak, sememangnya kita berhak untuk mengambilnya kembali.
Tetapi, kita ingin mengatakan tentang satu nilai yang lebih tinggi daripada sekadar "kau tumbuk aku, aku tumbuk kau balik". Kita memaafkan kesalahan orang lain bukan kerana dia "layak" untuk menerimanya. Isu kelayakan tidak menjadi persoalan.
Kita memaafkannya kerana kita percaya itulah yang lebih dekat dengan ketaqwaan. Kita percaya bahawa dalam semua pilihan yang Allah berikan, itulah pilihan yang terbaik dan yang paling disukai oleh Allah.
Tambahan pula, memaafkan kesalahan orang lain menjadikan kita seorang insan yang ringan bahunya. Kita tidak dibebani dengan dendam dan kebencian. Aura negatif itu hanya akan merosakkan emosi kita, menjadikan kita seorang yang kerap kali rosak "mood".
Memaafkan orang lain sering kali dikaitkan dengan istilah "let it go" kerana kita melepaskan beban tersebut daripada bahu kita. Kehidupan selepas itu menjadi lebih tenang dan mudah.
Dalam masa yang sama, kita juga tidak alpa terhadap keadilan. Sekiranya pesalah laku itu wajar dihukum, maka dia wajar dihukum. Memaafkan tidak semestinya bermakna orang yang dimaafkan itu terlepas daripada mata keadilan.
Memaafkan itu bermakna kita aman daripada dendam dan benci.
Lagipun, bukankah kita juga inginkan kemaafan? Bagaimana kita boleh mendapat kemaafan dengan mudah jika kita tidak memaafkan dengan mudah?
Semoga ucapan "Selamat Hari Raya. Maaf Zahir Batin" tidak menjadi ucapan kosong.
Penulis: Aiman Azlan
Bagi mereka yang sukar untuk memaafkan, rata-rata sebab yang diutarakan sebagai justifikasi ialah, "Dia tidak layak mendapat kemaafan aku."
Jika Allah boleh memaafkan seorang hamba-Nya yang membunuh 100 orang (seperti dalam hadis yang menceritakan kisah ini), maka bagaimana pula kita boleh berhujah bahawa seseorang itu "tidak layak" mendapat kemaafan kita?
Apakah kemaafan kita lebih tinggi daripada kemaafan Allah sehinggakan kita merasakan bahawa orang lain perlu mendapat kelayakan terlebih dahulu?
Ya, mungkin benar bahawa perbuatan buruknya terhadap kita itu meninggalkan kesan luka yang mendalam. Ya, mungkin benar bahawa perbuatannya itu tidak layak dimaafkan, jika kita menilai mengikut ukuran biasa manusia.
Jika hak kita dirompak, sememangnya kita berhak untuk mengambilnya kembali.
Tetapi, kita ingin mengatakan tentang satu nilai yang lebih tinggi daripada sekadar "kau tumbuk aku, aku tumbuk kau balik". Kita memaafkan kesalahan orang lain bukan kerana dia "layak" untuk menerimanya. Isu kelayakan tidak menjadi persoalan.
Kita memaafkannya kerana kita percaya itulah yang lebih dekat dengan ketaqwaan. Kita percaya bahawa dalam semua pilihan yang Allah berikan, itulah pilihan yang terbaik dan yang paling disukai oleh Allah.
Tambahan pula, memaafkan kesalahan orang lain menjadikan kita seorang insan yang ringan bahunya. Kita tidak dibebani dengan dendam dan kebencian. Aura negatif itu hanya akan merosakkan emosi kita, menjadikan kita seorang yang kerap kali rosak "mood".
Memaafkan orang lain sering kali dikaitkan dengan istilah "let it go" kerana kita melepaskan beban tersebut daripada bahu kita. Kehidupan selepas itu menjadi lebih tenang dan mudah.
Dalam masa yang sama, kita juga tidak alpa terhadap keadilan. Sekiranya pesalah laku itu wajar dihukum, maka dia wajar dihukum. Memaafkan tidak semestinya bermakna orang yang dimaafkan itu terlepas daripada mata keadilan.
Memaafkan itu bermakna kita aman daripada dendam dan benci.
Lagipun, bukankah kita juga inginkan kemaafan? Bagaimana kita boleh mendapat kemaafan dengan mudah jika kita tidak memaafkan dengan mudah?
Semoga ucapan "Selamat Hari Raya. Maaf Zahir Batin" tidak menjadi ucapan kosong.
Penulis: Aiman Azlan
Thursday, July 16, 2015
He Lost His Sight and Found a Vision
When twelve-year-old John Wilson walked into his chemistry class at Scarborough High School for Boys on a rainy day in late October 1931, he had no way of knowing that his life was about to change completely. The class experiment that day was to show how heating a container of water would bring oxygen bubbling to the surface, something students at his school and at schools all around the world had been doing for a very long time. The container the teacher gave John to heat, however, was not like the containers students everywhere had used. Somehow, this container mistakenly held something more volatile than water. It turned out that the container had the wrong solution because a laboratory assistant had been distracted and put the wrong label on the bottle. And when John heated it with a Bunsen burner, the container exploded, shattering glass bottles in the vicinity, destroying a portion of the classroom, and pelting the students with razor-edged shards. Several students came away from this accident bleeding.
John Wilson came away from it blinded in both eyes.
Wilson spent the next two months in the hospital. When he returned home, his parents attempted to find a way to deal with the catastrophe that had befallen their lives. But Wilson did not regard the accident as catastrophic. “It did not strike me even then as a tragedy,” he said once in an interview with the Times of London. He knew he had the rest of his life to live, and he did not intend to live it in an understated way. He learned Braille quickly and continued his education at the esteemed Worcester College for the Blind. There, he not only excelled as a student but also became an accomplished rower, swimmer, actor, musician, and orator.
From Worcester, Wilson studied law at Oxford. Away from the protected environs of a school set up for blind students, he needed to contend with a busy campus and the very active streets in the vicinity. Rather than relying on a walking stick, though, he relied on an acute sense of hearing and what he called his “obstacle sense” to keep him out of harm’s way. At Oxford, he received his law degree and set out to work for the National Institute for the Blind. His real calling, however, was still waiting for him.
In 1946, Wilson went on a fact-finding tour of British territories in Africa and the Middle East. What he found there was rampant blindness. And unlike the accident that cost him his eyesight, the diseases that affected so many of these people were preventable with the proper medical attention. For Wilson, it was one thing to accept his own fate and quite another to allow something to continue when it could be fixed so easily. This moved him to action.
The report Wilson delivered upon his return led to the formation of the British Empire Society for the Blind, now called Sight Savers International. Wilson himself served as the director of the organization for more than thirty years and accomplished remarkable things during his tenure.
His work often led him to travel more than fifty thousand miles a year, but he considered this an essential part of the job, believing that he needed to be present in the places where his organization’s work was being done. In 1950, he and his wife lived in a mud hut in a part of Ghana known as “the country of the blind” because a disease that came from insect bites had blinded 10 percent of the population. He set his team to work on developing a preventive treatment for the disease, commonly known as “river blindness.” Using the drug Mectizan, the organization inoculated the children in the seven African countries stricken with the disease and all but eradicated it. By the early 1960s, river blindness was overwhelmingly under control. It is no exaggeration to say that generations of African children can thank the efforts of John Wilson for their sight.
Under Wilson’s direction, the organization conducted three million cataract operations and treated twelve million others at risk of becoming blind. They also administered more than one hundred million doses of vitamin A to prevent childhood blindness and distributed Braille study packs to afflicted people throughout Africa and Asia. In all, tens of millions can see because of the commitment John Wilson made to preventing the preventable.
Many people faced with the circumstances Sir John Wilson encountered, would have bemoaned their existence. Perhaps they would have considered themselves cursed by ill fortune and frustrated in their attempts to do anything significant with their lives. Wilson, however, insisted that blindness was “a confounded nuisance, not a crippling affliction,” and he modeled that attitude in the most inspiring possible way.
He lost his sight and found a vision. He proved dramatically that it’s not what happens to us that determines out lives – it’s what we make of what happens.
Source: "The Element" by Sir Ken Robinson (pg. 156-159)
John Wilson came away from it blinded in both eyes.
Wilson spent the next two months in the hospital. When he returned home, his parents attempted to find a way to deal with the catastrophe that had befallen their lives. But Wilson did not regard the accident as catastrophic. “It did not strike me even then as a tragedy,” he said once in an interview with the Times of London. He knew he had the rest of his life to live, and he did not intend to live it in an understated way. He learned Braille quickly and continued his education at the esteemed Worcester College for the Blind. There, he not only excelled as a student but also became an accomplished rower, swimmer, actor, musician, and orator.
From Worcester, Wilson studied law at Oxford. Away from the protected environs of a school set up for blind students, he needed to contend with a busy campus and the very active streets in the vicinity. Rather than relying on a walking stick, though, he relied on an acute sense of hearing and what he called his “obstacle sense” to keep him out of harm’s way. At Oxford, he received his law degree and set out to work for the National Institute for the Blind. His real calling, however, was still waiting for him.
In 1946, Wilson went on a fact-finding tour of British territories in Africa and the Middle East. What he found there was rampant blindness. And unlike the accident that cost him his eyesight, the diseases that affected so many of these people were preventable with the proper medical attention. For Wilson, it was one thing to accept his own fate and quite another to allow something to continue when it could be fixed so easily. This moved him to action.
The report Wilson delivered upon his return led to the formation of the British Empire Society for the Blind, now called Sight Savers International. Wilson himself served as the director of the organization for more than thirty years and accomplished remarkable things during his tenure.
His work often led him to travel more than fifty thousand miles a year, but he considered this an essential part of the job, believing that he needed to be present in the places where his organization’s work was being done. In 1950, he and his wife lived in a mud hut in a part of Ghana known as “the country of the blind” because a disease that came from insect bites had blinded 10 percent of the population. He set his team to work on developing a preventive treatment for the disease, commonly known as “river blindness.” Using the drug Mectizan, the organization inoculated the children in the seven African countries stricken with the disease and all but eradicated it. By the early 1960s, river blindness was overwhelmingly under control. It is no exaggeration to say that generations of African children can thank the efforts of John Wilson for their sight.
Under Wilson’s direction, the organization conducted three million cataract operations and treated twelve million others at risk of becoming blind. They also administered more than one hundred million doses of vitamin A to prevent childhood blindness and distributed Braille study packs to afflicted people throughout Africa and Asia. In all, tens of millions can see because of the commitment John Wilson made to preventing the preventable.
Many people faced with the circumstances Sir John Wilson encountered, would have bemoaned their existence. Perhaps they would have considered themselves cursed by ill fortune and frustrated in their attempts to do anything significant with their lives. Wilson, however, insisted that blindness was “a confounded nuisance, not a crippling affliction,” and he modeled that attitude in the most inspiring possible way.
He lost his sight and found a vision. He proved dramatically that it’s not what happens to us that determines out lives – it’s what we make of what happens.
Source: "The Element" by Sir Ken Robinson (pg. 156-159)
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Why Not Dating Dulu Baru Kahwin?
There is a glossary at the end of this article on certain scientific terms and Malay terms which may help the reader to understand this article better.
When you hear about "kahwin dulu, baru dating", probably in your mind you will be thinking about a guy with a kopiah 24 hours on his head marrying a girl who wear the tudung labuh or even a niqaab, better known as purdah at Malaysia. Your first instinct will also probably be, "I pray, I fast, I wear tudung, but I am not these extreme 'alim people. I need to get to know my partner for life inside out. So, I need to date him, to know whether we are serasi or not." I perfectly understand your concern. I understand that you are not 'crazy' enough to just jump into a marriage without knowing who your partner really is. So in the end, this kahwin dulu baru dating trend becomes an exclusive thing among people who are active in dakwah and jemaah, while the muslim masses are walking together holding hands or 'hanging out' at restaurants at KLCC, Mid Valley, etc. Some of these people are perhaps incurable, but I believe some just don't get how kahwin dulu baru dating can actually work. I will try my best to show you intellectually that kahwin dulu baru dating should not be an exclusive thing among the 'extreme pious people', in fact every rational person should embrace it. I will also try to point out that romantic love is hogwash in supposedly spotting the ideal partner for a long-lasting marriage.
Firstly, I have heard about people mocking about those who had successful marriage through matchmake as just being 'lucky'. To set the record straight, according to National Geographic, the divorce rate of the Western world which embraces total romantic love is around 50 to 60% - a healthy percentage indeed! So, even if you start your marriage with romantic love, the probability for it to last untill death-do-you-apart is less than half. I would like to call upon those ardent defenders of romantic love to pause for awhile and enjoy this statistics before proceeding to conjure some pseudo theories about the advantages of having romantic love - you can't fool the figures. I would say that the western society has 1001 flaws in keeping a safe household and those 'other factors' surely contribute to the statistics, but the fact still remain that romantic love fails to spot these people's partner for life. According to a study done by Utusan Malaysia, our country also has a divorce rate of 54% and our society is practically westernised with majority embracing romantic love - although maybe not the type that ends up on the bed. So it's the same old story, statistics wise.
Some people say we need to know whether we have 'chemistry' through countless dates, hang outs, and spending a lot of time together. Going through a person's 'CV', peer opinion or recommendation, observing her/him in public, and a brief get-to-know session are just not enough. We know that during this courting period, everyone pijak semut pon tak mati, and you will always forgive your partner's shortcoming no matter how big they are, simply because you are madly in love. How many times have we heard about glitch-free Pakwe 1.0 who eventually turned into Husband 1.0 with lots of viruses and trojan horses? Also note that I am not saying go into a marriage with someone you know you don't like, but I am saying you don't need these romantic craps to know a person through and through. The fact is you won't really know a person unless you live, eat, and sleep with him or her.
I wonder how Amazon.com can make big bucks, if everyone really insist in browsing through a book before buying it. Worst still, this book has a lot of pages written in magic invisible ink that will only show up after you buy it! So you never really know what you are buying. What if good reviews, high-praise critics, and best sellers are not enough for one to make a decision to buy a book? I admit that drawing an analogy between life partner with a book just doesn't make sense at all. Let's get scientific. So what really is this thing called love? Anthropologist Helen Fisher, a professor at Rutgers University, has conducted an extensive research on the biochemical pathways of love in all its manifestations: lust, romance, attachment, the way they start and wane, etc. Here is part of what her research is about:-
"After doing MRI on the brain of two lovers - they had been 'madly in love' for seven months during that time - she found out that parts of brain linked up to reward and pleasure - the ventral tegnmental area and the caudate nucleus- lit up. What excited Fisher most was not so much finding a location, an address, for love as tracing its specific chemical pathways. Love lights up the caudate nucleus because it is home to a dense spread of receptors for a neurotransmitter calleddopamine, which Fisher came to think of as part of our own endogenous love potion. In the right proportions, dopamine creates intense energy, exhilaration, focused attention, and motivation to win rewards. It is why, when you are newly in love, you can stay up all night, watch the sun rise, run a race, ski fast down a slope ordinarily too steep for your skill. Love makes you bold, makes you bright, makes you run real risks, which you sometimes survive, and sometimes you don't." [The Chemistry of Love, National Geographic]
Sounds familiar? Mind you that mentally-ill people also shows high amount of dopamine in their brain, and scientists cannot tell apart one who is mentally-ill and one who is 'madly in love' by just MRIing their brains. Cool, right? The meaning of 'madly in love' is more real than what we think of, as the brain chemistry of infatuation is indeed akin to mental illness. Tak heran la, pijak semut pon tak mati, lautan api pon akan ku redah, dan gunung tinggi mana pon akan ku daki. Do you think an orang gila can make a sound judgement? The fact is, when you are in deep romantic obsession, you just want to win rewards from your partner due to the excessive dopamines, not objectively finding faults in him or her as you claim. Of course nobody is perfect, there is no point in finding every faults in your partner, and supposedly marriage is about reconciling differences and accepting the fact that your partner is another human being, inescapable from making mistakes. What I am stressing here is that dating and hanging out serve only one perpose: indulging in your nafs, not finding the right partner. How can something that is similar to mental-illness becomes a reliable way to make your decision of a lifetime? So am I still not convincing? Let's hear further what Dr. Helen Fischer has to say about the chemistry of love:-
"Most scientist who studied love, divide it into three segments: lust, romantic obsession, and attachment. The first stage of it which is lust which is actually the sex drive. One of the things that men like about women is their waist to hip ratio, which according to scientists, the desirable waist to hip ratio is point seven. woman are attracted to man with broad shoulders and rugged features, all showing a great deal of testosterone. The second stage of love is romantic passion, and the same chemcals are involved when a person is in love is when they are high on Amphetamine [dopamine stimulus] , and the scientists are speculating that it ends after about four years, and that's because that is the amount of time that it takes for a human baby to become 'viable'. And two things happen, either the couple separate or they stay together in long term relationship. That third stage is called attachment and there is a different chemical in brain that is involved in a long-term relationship, which is called oxytocin, and that causes one to feel very calm and soothe. Emily and Brian of Ohio had been married for 60 years and have twenty children. They were to me sort of perfect example of this long-term relationship attachment." [The Chemistry of Love, National Geographic]
So, according to scientists, this romantic passion can only last at maximum for four years, but they don't quite know why yet - biology is always vague. Some say that the human body just can't stand the state of high in dopamine for so long because it deteriorates the body, while some gave the theory that four years is the maximum time span for a couple to have their first baby, so they need to get 'serious'. Whatever it is, no wonder a lot of people complain that their once glitch-free Pakwe1.0 turned into Husband 1.0 with lots of viruses and trojan horses. Another thing to point out is that couples who are in long-term relationship show high amount of oxytocin in their brains, which is a totally different chemical from dopamine. Oxytocin is also present when you have good relationships with your parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. So what makes a relationship last long is this feeling of attachment to your partner like you have for your parents, friends, and family, not the romantic passion during courtship. It is interesting to note that oxytocin causes one to feel very calm and soothe, while dopamine creates intense energy, exhilaration, focused attention, and motivation to win rewards. There is no similarity at all between these two chemicals; in fact, their purposes are actually the opposite to each other. So only a fool would think that romantic passion is the mechanism that should be used to find a suitable partner. It is like trying to use a hammer to cut your finger nail.
"And those who say: "Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of those who have Taqwa.'' [Qur'an 25:74]
Is qurrota a'yun (comfort of our eyes) mentioned in the Qur'an, the feeling of calm and soothe (triggered by oxytocin) that is presence when a relationship is based on attachment? Finally, let's listen to what Jody Cobb, the photographer of National Geographic magazine who wrote the article The Chemistry of Love, has to say about her impossible task: Photographing love:-
"I didn't want to just photograph weddings, that I think is what is expected. I didn't want to do a valentine, I didn't want to do a hallmark card. The notion of love because anyone who has ever really been in love knows that, that's not the reality. So I was very much interested to show real life and cultures all over the world. And women are becoming educated and wanting to make their own choices in mate selection, things are changing really fast. And just like in the West, where we trully believe in love and romance and happily ever after, we still have a 50-60% divorce rate." [The Chemistry of Love, National Geographic]
It is pretty clear now that dating baru kahwin doesn't come even close to ensure a happily-ever-after relationship. Ironically, those 'extreme 'alim people' are the ones who understand real love and real life, not those Casanovas. Do note that I am not saying if you kahwin dulu baru dating then your marriage will last forever, but if you dating dulu baru kahwin then you are doom to failure. I am simply pointing out that romantic passion has nothing to do about spoting the 'right person' in your life. It is also true that incompatibility may happen between two persons, like there is just no chemistry between the two of you. The point is, you don't need to go on countless hang outs to spot that. You don't need to overload your neuropathways with excessive dopamine to find the supposedly elusive chemistry. It is common sense: You sit down and talk with a person for 15 minutes and you'll know whether you can get along with that person or not. I am talking in general, meaning even with a stranger who you want to make him as your friend, not just your life partner. As for the opposite gender, more than that, you are just indulging in your nafs. Of course, if you are still in doubt, go through the person's 'CV', find peer opinion or recommendation about that person, observe her/him in public, and so on and so forth, as long as it is according to the syariah. Whatever you do, don't get mentally-ill. In the end, you still have to ride all the gelora after the romantic passion dies out and you dah kahwin - Husband 1.0 and Wife 1.0. Last piece of advice: Ride them with oxytocin, notdopamine, ok? Above all, bring along taqwa, inshaAllah it will be pretty smooth sailing.
"I love you because of your religion. If you let go of your religion, then I have to let go of my love for you" Imam Nawawi.
Glossary:
Scientific terms:
Neurotransmitters - are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate electrical signals between a neuron (brain/nervous system cells) and another cell.
Dopamine - Dopamine is a neurotrasmitter and it has many functions in the brain. Most importantly, dopamine is central to the reward system. Dopamine is commonly associated with the pleasure system of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate a person proactively to perform certain activities. Dopamine is released by naturally rewarding experiences such as food and sex. Disruption to the dopamine system has also been strongly linked to psychosis and schizoprenia, with abnormally high dopamine action apparently leading to these conditions. Now you can see the link between sex/romantic passion and psychosis.
Oxytocin - Oxytocin is a mamalian hormone that also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. In the brain, oxytocin is involved in social recognition and bonding, and might be involved in the formation of trust between people. Oxytocin is also an important hormone for women for various reasons, but in this article I am focusing on the function of oxytocin in the brain.
MRI - MRI stands for Magnetic resonance imaging, which is a non-invasive method used to render images of the inside of an object. In this particular case, it is used to render images inside of the brain.
Malay terms:
kahwin dulu baru dating - A loose translation would be: Marriage first, only then comes dating.
dating dulu baru kawhin - A loose translation would be: Dating first, only then comes marriage
tudung - hijab
serasi - compatible
pijak semut pon tak mati - Literally it means: Even if you step on an ant, the ant won’t die. What it actually means is someone who control his behavior to give a false, good impression during dating.
pakwe - boyfriend
Tak heran la, pijak semut pon tak mati, lautan api pon akan ku redah, dan gunung tingga mana pon akan ku daki - Literally it means: No wonder he steps on an ant, the ant won’t die, and he will say, “I will cross a fiery ocean for your sake, I will climb the tallest mountain for your sake.” I guess you get the meaning already
dah kawin - already married
References:
1. Slater, Lauren. The Chemistry of Love. National Geographic Magazine, February 2006
2. Fisher, Helen. Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love. Henry Holt and Company, 2004.
Written by Taufiq
When you hear about "kahwin dulu, baru dating", probably in your mind you will be thinking about a guy with a kopiah 24 hours on his head marrying a girl who wear the tudung labuh or even a niqaab, better known as purdah at Malaysia. Your first instinct will also probably be, "I pray, I fast, I wear tudung, but I am not these extreme 'alim people. I need to get to know my partner for life inside out. So, I need to date him, to know whether we are serasi or not." I perfectly understand your concern. I understand that you are not 'crazy' enough to just jump into a marriage without knowing who your partner really is. So in the end, this kahwin dulu baru dating trend becomes an exclusive thing among people who are active in dakwah and jemaah, while the muslim masses are walking together holding hands or 'hanging out' at restaurants at KLCC, Mid Valley, etc. Some of these people are perhaps incurable, but I believe some just don't get how kahwin dulu baru dating can actually work. I will try my best to show you intellectually that kahwin dulu baru dating should not be an exclusive thing among the 'extreme pious people', in fact every rational person should embrace it. I will also try to point out that romantic love is hogwash in supposedly spotting the ideal partner for a long-lasting marriage.
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| Photo credit: Sarah |
Firstly, I have heard about people mocking about those who had successful marriage through matchmake as just being 'lucky'. To set the record straight, according to National Geographic, the divorce rate of the Western world which embraces total romantic love is around 50 to 60% - a healthy percentage indeed! So, even if you start your marriage with romantic love, the probability for it to last untill death-do-you-apart is less than half. I would like to call upon those ardent defenders of romantic love to pause for awhile and enjoy this statistics before proceeding to conjure some pseudo theories about the advantages of having romantic love - you can't fool the figures. I would say that the western society has 1001 flaws in keeping a safe household and those 'other factors' surely contribute to the statistics, but the fact still remain that romantic love fails to spot these people's partner for life. According to a study done by Utusan Malaysia, our country also has a divorce rate of 54% and our society is practically westernised with majority embracing romantic love - although maybe not the type that ends up on the bed. So it's the same old story, statistics wise.
Some people say we need to know whether we have 'chemistry' through countless dates, hang outs, and spending a lot of time together. Going through a person's 'CV', peer opinion or recommendation, observing her/him in public, and a brief get-to-know session are just not enough. We know that during this courting period, everyone pijak semut pon tak mati, and you will always forgive your partner's shortcoming no matter how big they are, simply because you are madly in love. How many times have we heard about glitch-free Pakwe 1.0 who eventually turned into Husband 1.0 with lots of viruses and trojan horses? Also note that I am not saying go into a marriage with someone you know you don't like, but I am saying you don't need these romantic craps to know a person through and through. The fact is you won't really know a person unless you live, eat, and sleep with him or her.
I wonder how Amazon.com can make big bucks, if everyone really insist in browsing through a book before buying it. Worst still, this book has a lot of pages written in magic invisible ink that will only show up after you buy it! So you never really know what you are buying. What if good reviews, high-praise critics, and best sellers are not enough for one to make a decision to buy a book? I admit that drawing an analogy between life partner with a book just doesn't make sense at all. Let's get scientific. So what really is this thing called love? Anthropologist Helen Fisher, a professor at Rutgers University, has conducted an extensive research on the biochemical pathways of love in all its manifestations: lust, romance, attachment, the way they start and wane, etc. Here is part of what her research is about:-
"After doing MRI on the brain of two lovers - they had been 'madly in love' for seven months during that time - she found out that parts of brain linked up to reward and pleasure - the ventral tegnmental area and the caudate nucleus- lit up. What excited Fisher most was not so much finding a location, an address, for love as tracing its specific chemical pathways. Love lights up the caudate nucleus because it is home to a dense spread of receptors for a neurotransmitter calleddopamine, which Fisher came to think of as part of our own endogenous love potion. In the right proportions, dopamine creates intense energy, exhilaration, focused attention, and motivation to win rewards. It is why, when you are newly in love, you can stay up all night, watch the sun rise, run a race, ski fast down a slope ordinarily too steep for your skill. Love makes you bold, makes you bright, makes you run real risks, which you sometimes survive, and sometimes you don't." [The Chemistry of Love, National Geographic]
Sounds familiar? Mind you that mentally-ill people also shows high amount of dopamine in their brain, and scientists cannot tell apart one who is mentally-ill and one who is 'madly in love' by just MRIing their brains. Cool, right? The meaning of 'madly in love' is more real than what we think of, as the brain chemistry of infatuation is indeed akin to mental illness. Tak heran la, pijak semut pon tak mati, lautan api pon akan ku redah, dan gunung tinggi mana pon akan ku daki. Do you think an orang gila can make a sound judgement? The fact is, when you are in deep romantic obsession, you just want to win rewards from your partner due to the excessive dopamines, not objectively finding faults in him or her as you claim. Of course nobody is perfect, there is no point in finding every faults in your partner, and supposedly marriage is about reconciling differences and accepting the fact that your partner is another human being, inescapable from making mistakes. What I am stressing here is that dating and hanging out serve only one perpose: indulging in your nafs, not finding the right partner. How can something that is similar to mental-illness becomes a reliable way to make your decision of a lifetime? So am I still not convincing? Let's hear further what Dr. Helen Fischer has to say about the chemistry of love:-
"Most scientist who studied love, divide it into three segments: lust, romantic obsession, and attachment. The first stage of it which is lust which is actually the sex drive. One of the things that men like about women is their waist to hip ratio, which according to scientists, the desirable waist to hip ratio is point seven. woman are attracted to man with broad shoulders and rugged features, all showing a great deal of testosterone. The second stage of love is romantic passion, and the same chemcals are involved when a person is in love is when they are high on Amphetamine [dopamine stimulus] , and the scientists are speculating that it ends after about four years, and that's because that is the amount of time that it takes for a human baby to become 'viable'. And two things happen, either the couple separate or they stay together in long term relationship. That third stage is called attachment and there is a different chemical in brain that is involved in a long-term relationship, which is called oxytocin, and that causes one to feel very calm and soothe. Emily and Brian of Ohio had been married for 60 years and have twenty children. They were to me sort of perfect example of this long-term relationship attachment." [The Chemistry of Love, National Geographic]
So, according to scientists, this romantic passion can only last at maximum for four years, but they don't quite know why yet - biology is always vague. Some say that the human body just can't stand the state of high in dopamine for so long because it deteriorates the body, while some gave the theory that four years is the maximum time span for a couple to have their first baby, so they need to get 'serious'. Whatever it is, no wonder a lot of people complain that their once glitch-free Pakwe1.0 turned into Husband 1.0 with lots of viruses and trojan horses. Another thing to point out is that couples who are in long-term relationship show high amount of oxytocin in their brains, which is a totally different chemical from dopamine. Oxytocin is also present when you have good relationships with your parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. So what makes a relationship last long is this feeling of attachment to your partner like you have for your parents, friends, and family, not the romantic passion during courtship. It is interesting to note that oxytocin causes one to feel very calm and soothe, while dopamine creates intense energy, exhilaration, focused attention, and motivation to win rewards. There is no similarity at all between these two chemicals; in fact, their purposes are actually the opposite to each other. So only a fool would think that romantic passion is the mechanism that should be used to find a suitable partner. It is like trying to use a hammer to cut your finger nail.
"And those who say: "Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of those who have Taqwa.'' [Qur'an 25:74]
Is qurrota a'yun (comfort of our eyes) mentioned in the Qur'an, the feeling of calm and soothe (triggered by oxytocin) that is presence when a relationship is based on attachment? Finally, let's listen to what Jody Cobb, the photographer of National Geographic magazine who wrote the article The Chemistry of Love, has to say about her impossible task: Photographing love:-
"I didn't want to just photograph weddings, that I think is what is expected. I didn't want to do a valentine, I didn't want to do a hallmark card. The notion of love because anyone who has ever really been in love knows that, that's not the reality. So I was very much interested to show real life and cultures all over the world. And women are becoming educated and wanting to make their own choices in mate selection, things are changing really fast. And just like in the West, where we trully believe in love and romance and happily ever after, we still have a 50-60% divorce rate." [The Chemistry of Love, National Geographic]
It is pretty clear now that dating baru kahwin doesn't come even close to ensure a happily-ever-after relationship. Ironically, those 'extreme 'alim people' are the ones who understand real love and real life, not those Casanovas. Do note that I am not saying if you kahwin dulu baru dating then your marriage will last forever, but if you dating dulu baru kahwin then you are doom to failure. I am simply pointing out that romantic passion has nothing to do about spoting the 'right person' in your life. It is also true that incompatibility may happen between two persons, like there is just no chemistry between the two of you. The point is, you don't need to go on countless hang outs to spot that. You don't need to overload your neuropathways with excessive dopamine to find the supposedly elusive chemistry. It is common sense: You sit down and talk with a person for 15 minutes and you'll know whether you can get along with that person or not. I am talking in general, meaning even with a stranger who you want to make him as your friend, not just your life partner. As for the opposite gender, more than that, you are just indulging in your nafs. Of course, if you are still in doubt, go through the person's 'CV', find peer opinion or recommendation about that person, observe her/him in public, and so on and so forth, as long as it is according to the syariah. Whatever you do, don't get mentally-ill. In the end, you still have to ride all the gelora after the romantic passion dies out and you dah kahwin - Husband 1.0 and Wife 1.0. Last piece of advice: Ride them with oxytocin, notdopamine, ok? Above all, bring along taqwa, inshaAllah it will be pretty smooth sailing.
"I love you because of your religion. If you let go of your religion, then I have to let go of my love for you" Imam Nawawi.
Glossary:
Scientific terms:
Neurotransmitters - are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate electrical signals between a neuron (brain/nervous system cells) and another cell.
Dopamine - Dopamine is a neurotrasmitter and it has many functions in the brain. Most importantly, dopamine is central to the reward system. Dopamine is commonly associated with the pleasure system of the brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate a person proactively to perform certain activities. Dopamine is released by naturally rewarding experiences such as food and sex. Disruption to the dopamine system has also been strongly linked to psychosis and schizoprenia, with abnormally high dopamine action apparently leading to these conditions. Now you can see the link between sex/romantic passion and psychosis.
Oxytocin - Oxytocin is a mamalian hormone that also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. In the brain, oxytocin is involved in social recognition and bonding, and might be involved in the formation of trust between people. Oxytocin is also an important hormone for women for various reasons, but in this article I am focusing on the function of oxytocin in the brain.
MRI - MRI stands for Magnetic resonance imaging, which is a non-invasive method used to render images of the inside of an object. In this particular case, it is used to render images inside of the brain.
Malay terms:
kahwin dulu baru dating - A loose translation would be: Marriage first, only then comes dating.
dating dulu baru kawhin - A loose translation would be: Dating first, only then comes marriage
tudung - hijab
serasi - compatible
pijak semut pon tak mati - Literally it means: Even if you step on an ant, the ant won’t die. What it actually means is someone who control his behavior to give a false, good impression during dating.
pakwe - boyfriend
Tak heran la, pijak semut pon tak mati, lautan api pon akan ku redah, dan gunung tingga mana pon akan ku daki - Literally it means: No wonder he steps on an ant, the ant won’t die, and he will say, “I will cross a fiery ocean for your sake, I will climb the tallest mountain for your sake.” I guess you get the meaning already
dah kawin - already married
References:
1. Slater, Lauren. The Chemistry of Love. National Geographic Magazine, February 2006
2. Fisher, Helen. Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love. Henry Holt and Company, 2004.
Written by Taufiq
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Gratitude: Look Beyond What You See
You think this is just another day in your life. It's not just another day. It's the one day that is given to you, today. It's given to you. It's a gift. It's the only gift that you have right now. And the only appropriate response is gratefulness.
If you do nothing else but to cultivate that response through the great gift that this unique day is, if you learn to respond as if it were the first day of your life and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well.
Begin by opening your eyes and be surprised that you have eyes you can open! That incredible array of colours that is constantly offered to us for pure enjoyment.
Look at the sky. We so rarely look at the sky. We so rarely note how different it is from moment to moment with clouds coming and going. We just think of the weather and even in the weather we don't think of all the many nuances of the weather. We just think of good weather and bad weather. This day, right now, is unique weather! Maybe a kind that will never exactly be in that form again. The formation of clouds in the sky will never be the same as it is right now.
Open your eyes. Look at that. Look at the faces of people whom you meet. Each one has an incredible story behind their face. A story that you can never fully fathom. Not only their own stories but the stories of their ancestors. We all go back so far. And in this present moment on this day, all the people you meet, all that life from generations of so many places all over the world, flows together and meet you here like a life-giving water if you only open your heart and drink.
Open your heart to the incredible gifts that civilization gives to us. You flip a switch and there's electric light. You turn a faucet and there's warm water and cold water and drinkable water. It's a gift that millions and millions in the world will never experience.
These are just a few of an enormous number of gifts to which we can open your heart. So I wish that you can open your heart to all these blessings and let them flow through you. That everyone whom you will meet on this day, will be blessed by you. Just by your eyes, by your smile, by your touch. Just by your presence.
Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you. Then, it will really be a good day.
Source: "Gratitude" by Louie Schwartzberg (Video)
Transcribed by Aiman Azlan
If you do nothing else but to cultivate that response through the great gift that this unique day is, if you learn to respond as if it were the first day of your life and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well.
Begin by opening your eyes and be surprised that you have eyes you can open! That incredible array of colours that is constantly offered to us for pure enjoyment.
Look at the sky. We so rarely look at the sky. We so rarely note how different it is from moment to moment with clouds coming and going. We just think of the weather and even in the weather we don't think of all the many nuances of the weather. We just think of good weather and bad weather. This day, right now, is unique weather! Maybe a kind that will never exactly be in that form again. The formation of clouds in the sky will never be the same as it is right now.
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| Photo credit: Sarah |
Open your eyes. Look at that. Look at the faces of people whom you meet. Each one has an incredible story behind their face. A story that you can never fully fathom. Not only their own stories but the stories of their ancestors. We all go back so far. And in this present moment on this day, all the people you meet, all that life from generations of so many places all over the world, flows together and meet you here like a life-giving water if you only open your heart and drink.
Open your heart to the incredible gifts that civilization gives to us. You flip a switch and there's electric light. You turn a faucet and there's warm water and cold water and drinkable water. It's a gift that millions and millions in the world will never experience.
These are just a few of an enormous number of gifts to which we can open your heart. So I wish that you can open your heart to all these blessings and let them flow through you. That everyone whom you will meet on this day, will be blessed by you. Just by your eyes, by your smile, by your touch. Just by your presence.
Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you. Then, it will really be a good day.
Source: "Gratitude" by Louie Schwartzberg (Video)
Transcribed by Aiman Azlan
Monday, July 13, 2015
Kita Semua Sibuk
Kisah ini berlaku dalam bulan Ramadan, di Toronto.
Selepas solat Jumaat, para jemaah melakukan solat jenazah buat seorang Muslimah yang baru sahaja memeluk Islam. Beliau memeluk Islam di katil hospital, sebelum Allah menjemputnya pulang.
Ya Allah, betapa bertuahnya roh itu! Baru sahaja memeluk Islam dan terus Allah mengambil nyawanya. Beliau kembali kepada-Nya dalam keadaan putih bersih. Tambahan pula, solat jenazah diadakan pada hari Jumaat, di bulan Ramadan – dalam hari terbaik, dalam bulan terbaik.
Aku menonton video di Youtube tentang seorang jejaka muda berumur 21 tahun yang menghidap penyakit terminal Osteosarcoma dan doktornya menjangkakan bahawa beliau akan hidup selama 6 bulan lagi.
Hanya Allah yang tahu bila kita akan mati, tetapi jangkaan itu memberikan gambaran betapa serius keadaannya sekarang. Tetapi, perspektifnya terhadap kehidupan singkatnya amatlah hebat. Beliau positif dan beliau tidak membuang masa.
Satu persamaan yang aku lihat kerap muncul dalam kalangan mereka yang sedar bahawa mereka akan mati tidak lama lagi kerana penyakit serius, ialah mereka melihat hidup ini sebagai peluang keemasan. Setiap hari menjadi satu rahmat, dan membuang masa itu satu jenayah bagi mereka.
Apabila maut sentiasa di minda, maka hidup ini dilihat menerusi kaca mata yang amat berbeza.
Ramadan berlalu seperti angin. Mereka yang sibuk dengan perkara lain tidak akan dapat menikmati kesejukannya. Aku membilang hari-hari yang berbaki, sambil menoleh ke belakang kepada hari-hari yang sudah pergi. Aku juga membilang hari ini, hari yang pasti.
Pada malam hari yang sama, selepas tamat solat terawih 8 rakaat, imam masjid memberikan tazkirah yang ringkas. Beliau menyatakan tentang kehidupan hari ini yang sibuk dan masa yang sentiasa suntuk.
“You know what our biggest issue is? Time. Nobody has time now. We are all busy. But the question is, what are we busy doing?”
Masa ini kadang-kadang terasa begitu laju, sampaikan kita tidak mampu untuk kejar. Semua orang sibuk, dan semua orang kalut. Berapa ramai antara kita yang sekali sekala berhenti seketika untuk berfikir dan menghargai perkara-perkara yang lebih penting dalam kehidupan?
Apakah masa yang mengawal aku ataupun aku yang mengawal masa? Sibuk tidak bererti aku produktif. Sibuk tidak bererti aku berjaya. Sibuk tidak bererti hidupku bermakna. Sibuk itu hanya bermakna aku mengisi masa aku dengan sesuatu.
Persoalannya, masa aku diisi dengan apa?
Penulis: Aiman Azlan
Selepas solat Jumaat, para jemaah melakukan solat jenazah buat seorang Muslimah yang baru sahaja memeluk Islam. Beliau memeluk Islam di katil hospital, sebelum Allah menjemputnya pulang.
Ya Allah, betapa bertuahnya roh itu! Baru sahaja memeluk Islam dan terus Allah mengambil nyawanya. Beliau kembali kepada-Nya dalam keadaan putih bersih. Tambahan pula, solat jenazah diadakan pada hari Jumaat, di bulan Ramadan – dalam hari terbaik, dalam bulan terbaik.
Aku menonton video di Youtube tentang seorang jejaka muda berumur 21 tahun yang menghidap penyakit terminal Osteosarcoma dan doktornya menjangkakan bahawa beliau akan hidup selama 6 bulan lagi.
Hanya Allah yang tahu bila kita akan mati, tetapi jangkaan itu memberikan gambaran betapa serius keadaannya sekarang. Tetapi, perspektifnya terhadap kehidupan singkatnya amatlah hebat. Beliau positif dan beliau tidak membuang masa.
Satu persamaan yang aku lihat kerap muncul dalam kalangan mereka yang sedar bahawa mereka akan mati tidak lama lagi kerana penyakit serius, ialah mereka melihat hidup ini sebagai peluang keemasan. Setiap hari menjadi satu rahmat, dan membuang masa itu satu jenayah bagi mereka.
Apabila maut sentiasa di minda, maka hidup ini dilihat menerusi kaca mata yang amat berbeza.
Ramadan berlalu seperti angin. Mereka yang sibuk dengan perkara lain tidak akan dapat menikmati kesejukannya. Aku membilang hari-hari yang berbaki, sambil menoleh ke belakang kepada hari-hari yang sudah pergi. Aku juga membilang hari ini, hari yang pasti.
Pada malam hari yang sama, selepas tamat solat terawih 8 rakaat, imam masjid memberikan tazkirah yang ringkas. Beliau menyatakan tentang kehidupan hari ini yang sibuk dan masa yang sentiasa suntuk.
“You know what our biggest issue is? Time. Nobody has time now. We are all busy. But the question is, what are we busy doing?”
Masa ini kadang-kadang terasa begitu laju, sampaikan kita tidak mampu untuk kejar. Semua orang sibuk, dan semua orang kalut. Berapa ramai antara kita yang sekali sekala berhenti seketika untuk berfikir dan menghargai perkara-perkara yang lebih penting dalam kehidupan?
Apakah masa yang mengawal aku ataupun aku yang mengawal masa? Sibuk tidak bererti aku produktif. Sibuk tidak bererti aku berjaya. Sibuk tidak bererti hidupku bermakna. Sibuk itu hanya bermakna aku mengisi masa aku dengan sesuatu.
Persoalannya, masa aku diisi dengan apa?
Penulis: Aiman Azlan
Saturday, July 11, 2015
The Complexity of a Simple Cell
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| A Simple Cell, via Electron Microscope |
"Complexity is a property that is evident when encountered, but difficult to describe. For the present, we can think of complexity in terms of order and consistency. The more complex a structure, the greater the number of parts that must be in their proper place, the less tolerance of errors in the nature and interactions of the parts, and the more regulation or control that must be exerted to maintain the system. Cellular activities can be remarkably precise. DNA duplication, for example, occurs with an error rate of less than one mistake every ten million nucleotides incorporated—and most of these are quickly corrected by an elaborate repair mechanism that recognizes the defect."
(Source: Karp, Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments, 6e, Unit 1.2)
The paragraph above was taken from my Biology textbook. I was struck with awe at how something so minuscule could be so complex. If one reads with an eye of faith, one can't help but to think of God when contemplating on this scientific fact.
Many have asked how do we remember God while learning secular knowledge. To answer that, we need to begin by addressing the idea that knowledge is somehow compartmentalized into religious and secular knowledge.
In actuality, there is no compartmentalization These compartments are man-made and one can assume that it is done for a good reason. Compartmentalization is one way we organize things and this compartmentalization of knowledge may be a way that we organize knowledge.
Perhaps an indirect consequence of this compartmentalization is that the things we organize become separated without links, or to be more precise, the links have become hidden from plain sight. What was once only one, became many but many can still come from one.
For example, a tree consists of many branches but all the branches point to only one tree. The same concept can be applied to knowledge. Knowledge, like a tree, has many branches but they all point towards the same tree.
For all branches of knowledge, the tree is Tawheed (the Oneness of God). They all point to that reality.
This is by necessity, because if any of the branches is severed from the tree, then it will eventually die. In a way, severing the branches of knowledge from its main tree will slowly take the life out of the branches of knowledge itself.
Perhaps that is why so many Muslims asked the question of how to relate what they are learning in university with Islam, because they feel a sense of emptiness in what they are learning. The can't seem to read in between the lines of the paragraphs in their textbooks and see the bigger picture.
This seeing of the bigger picture requires a bit of practice. Considering that we have lived with this compartmentalization idea in our minds for so long, one can only imagine that it must be difficult to unravel this mindset and set it straight.
Difficult, but not impossible.
For me, it starts with the intention. If I intend to see God in what I am learning, then God-Willing, I will see it. This doesn't mean that I insert God in what I am learning. Since the branches of knowledge already point to God, I don't have to.
Tawheed is already there, so I don't have to insert anything. I just have to notice it. Having the right intention is the first step to noticing the right thing. But it is not enough. I need some sort of a navigational tool to guide me to the place I intend to go.
If I am traveling and I intend to go to a particular place, my intention alone will not get me there. I need a map or some other reliable tool of navigation. Similarly, I need a reliable tool to navigate myself along the branches of knowledge, heading towards the main tree of Tawheed.
Spirituality is not only a spiritual endeavour, it is also an intellectual one. So, one of the most important navigational tools is right inside our head - our mind. We shouldn't undermine the importance of the mind in our spiritual quest.
In his paper entitled Living Islam with Purpose, Dr. Umar Faruq Abd' Allah stated, "God endowed human beings with dignity, and the capacity to reason is one of the principal grounds of their unique distinction among beings. The rational order of the universe makes it accessible to human reason and transforms it from a world of random phenomena into a marvelous sign of God and an object of speculation and scientific investigation."
He stated the quote above under the first sub-heading of his paper, appropriately entitling it as "Trusting Reason".
The Islamic concept of spirituality puts sound reasoning as one of its core principles. One cannot be spiritually mature without being intellectually mature at the same time. The mind is a gift from God, and it should be utilized properly.
Otherwise, it would be waste of something so valuable.
One should exercise one's mind to its full capacity, while at the same time realizing that the mind has a limit. This is where so many people cross the line between sound reasoning and no reasoning. The mind is incapable of conceptualizing everything about everything.
For Muslims, this is where we start to fully rely on Revelation. We shouldn't tread in territories where the mind can't go. As great as the mind truly is, there are certain questions that it cannot answer by itself.
That is the reason why so many great scholars of Islam, after exercising their intellect to its full capacity, they always end their reasoning process with the statement "Allahua'lam" or as it is normally translated in English, "Allah knows best."
This awareness is central to the Islamic faith and it keeps Muslims grounded in humility. We don't claim to know everything and we don't claim to have the capacity to know everything. We realize and acknowledge our limitations as human beings and as slaves of the Almighty.
Having said that, it doesn't mean that we remain intellectually idle. Despite having limitations, it is amazing how far the mind can go within those limitations. So, to acknowledge the reality of its limitations is by no means to undermine its powerful reasoning abilities.
The use of these two main navigational tools, the mind and the Revelation, is our guide to get us to the place we intend to go. With the right intention, the right attitude, and the right use of these tools, we can train our eyes to see Tawheed, in all its manifestations within any branch of knowledge.
Writer: Aiman Azlan.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Palestine: The Bitter History
Palestinians consider "Palestine" to be the area covered by what we now call Israel plus the Occupied Territories. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria and Jordan in the west, touches Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the south and the Mediterranean Sea in the east.
In 1917, the British promised a homeland for the Jews through the Balfour Declaration in the land of Palestine where the people living there could trace their roots over many centuries. At this time, more than 90% of the population here were Arabs, Muslims and Christians.
The mass migration of Jews began in the 1920s and tension was inevitable. Britain then handed over the matter to the United Nations and in 1948, the UN partitioned the land to create the state of Israel by giving Jews 55% of the land when they made up of only one-third of the population and owned only 6%of the total land area. The Palestinians were forced out off their land even though they were the legal owners, and have never been allowed to return.
It was also in 1948, after a war with the Arab neighbours, that Israel seized another 22% of the land, expelled some 800,000 inhabitants and destroyed 531 villages. In 1967, after the "Six Day War" Israel occupied Gaza and West Bank. In the same year, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 242, declaring that the occupation was illegal and demanded Israel to withdraw and return the land to its rightful owners.
Israel ignored the demand and continues to ignore many other UN resolutions since. This is because the US has been vetoing all efforts to end the illegal occupation.
Did You Know?
1) Did you know that since the creation of the United Nations in 1945, no country has violated as many UN Security Council Resolutions as the state of Israel?
2) Did you know that anyone of Jewish faith can move to Israel, but Palestinians who were born there and with homes and lands there are not allowed to return?
3) Did you know Palestinians are not allowed to move between their own towns without getting a "visa" from the Israel first?
4) Did you know that Israel allots 85% of the water resources for Jewish settlers and the remaining 15% is divided among the Palestinians? For example in Hebron, 85% of the water is given to about 400 Jewish settlers, while 15% must be divided among Hebron's 120,000 Palestinians.
5) Did you know that former Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, was held responsible for the massacre of more than 2750 Palestinians in the refugee camps of Sabra and Chatila? The UN qualified the massacre by Sharon as Genocide.
6) Did you know that 5 million of the 8 million Palestinians are refugees, making then the biggest group of refugees in the world?
7) Did you know that Palestinians are not permitted to leave the country even if their are seriously ill?
8) Did you know that the towns in Palestine are separated from each other by military checkpoints and separation walls?
9) Did you know that Palestinian children are denied equal opportunities in education?
Source : Brochure from the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs Against Persecution of Palesinians (COMPLETE)
In 1917, the British promised a homeland for the Jews through the Balfour Declaration in the land of Palestine where the people living there could trace their roots over many centuries. At this time, more than 90% of the population here were Arabs, Muslims and Christians.
The mass migration of Jews began in the 1920s and tension was inevitable. Britain then handed over the matter to the United Nations and in 1948, the UN partitioned the land to create the state of Israel by giving Jews 55% of the land when they made up of only one-third of the population and owned only 6%of the total land area. The Palestinians were forced out off their land even though they were the legal owners, and have never been allowed to return.
It was also in 1948, after a war with the Arab neighbours, that Israel seized another 22% of the land, expelled some 800,000 inhabitants and destroyed 531 villages. In 1967, after the "Six Day War" Israel occupied Gaza and West Bank. In the same year, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 242, declaring that the occupation was illegal and demanded Israel to withdraw and return the land to its rightful owners.
Israel ignored the demand and continues to ignore many other UN resolutions since. This is because the US has been vetoing all efforts to end the illegal occupation.
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Did You Know?
1) Did you know that since the creation of the United Nations in 1945, no country has violated as many UN Security Council Resolutions as the state of Israel?
2) Did you know that anyone of Jewish faith can move to Israel, but Palestinians who were born there and with homes and lands there are not allowed to return?
3) Did you know Palestinians are not allowed to move between their own towns without getting a "visa" from the Israel first?
4) Did you know that Israel allots 85% of the water resources for Jewish settlers and the remaining 15% is divided among the Palestinians? For example in Hebron, 85% of the water is given to about 400 Jewish settlers, while 15% must be divided among Hebron's 120,000 Palestinians.
5) Did you know that former Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, was held responsible for the massacre of more than 2750 Palestinians in the refugee camps of Sabra and Chatila? The UN qualified the massacre by Sharon as Genocide.
6) Did you know that 5 million of the 8 million Palestinians are refugees, making then the biggest group of refugees in the world?
7) Did you know that Palestinians are not permitted to leave the country even if their are seriously ill?
8) Did you know that the towns in Palestine are separated from each other by military checkpoints and separation walls?
9) Did you know that Palestinian children are denied equal opportunities in education?
Source : Brochure from the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs Against Persecution of Palesinians (COMPLETE)
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