Mawar Circle 1: The Characteristics of the Believers
Assalamualaikum and hi,
It's been a looooooong time since my last post. This blog seems like a 'shy to live, refuse to die' (hidup segan mati tak mahu).hahaha... Lots of things I wanted to share though.. but there were always obstacles in doing it.
So, not to babble too much, here's a sharing of our Mawar Sisters' Circle yesterday.
The Characteristics of The Believers.
There are lots of definition of being successful. We know really well what the examples are: great job, good salary, good contribution to the community, successful and happy family, etc. Yet, they are all definitions that were set by human, for this life in the world. We now are not going to live here forever. No doubt, we are now walking to another world which lasts FOREVER. The hereafter.
So Allah's definition is far more satisfying. He explains that the successful people, are the ones who end up in Paradise, they abide there in forever. While, everything that occurs in this life, is not more than a test.
" Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving;" (Al Mulk:2)
So, who are the people considered successful by Allah? The answer is so simple. The believers (orang- orang beriman). Allah tells us in the very first verse of Surah Al Mukminun.
Here it goes, Surah Al Mukminun, which we read and discussed yesterday.
Let's take out the characteristics of the successful people, which Allah makes it as a checklist whether we have achieved the title 'the Believers' or not yet.
1. Focus or khusyu' in prayers.
2. Avoid vain activities and conversation.
3. Purifying themselves.
4. Guard themselves from shamelessness.
5. Fulfill the trust and keep their promises.
Here is some description taken from Ustaz Nouman Ali Khan's Friday sermon on youtube.
IN the first verse; Allah says in the very beginning: Qad aflahal mu'minun.
The word 'qad' is to stress out, that the believers for sure are going to be successful, no doubt about it.
aflaha means suceed. Aflaha is taken from the word fallaaha, which means farmer. Why do Allah chooses this words among many words in Arabic text? Because, when we reflect the life of farmers in any part of the world, we will know how hard their life is. They need to work out from growing the seed, watering it, put the fertilisers, to deal with the weather and pests that damage the crops. Finally, at the end of the year, they can harvest their crops. After all of the process and hard work, sometimes they do not get good results.
Therefore, the chosen of the word aflaha shows the succession after a very long, tiring, hard work.
Whereas al mukminun are those people who have mature in faith. Do us?
Let's check it out.
1. Are we khusyu' in prayer enough?
Because when we are able to focus in our prayer, MasyaAllah.. the outcomes is shown in our act outside the prayer. Maybe if we don't how to imagine how good it is, we can read the story of the companions (r.a) of Rasulullah (saw) .
To focus in our prayer, we need to do it early, or precisely, ON TIME. Therefore, we will make sure to take care of how the time between the prayers is spent, because it is for sure, affect our attention in the prayer.
2. Are we guarding ourselves from involving in the vain talks and activities?
...that is the activities and conversation that has no benefit especially for the hereafter.
By taking care of ourselves from engaging in this kind of situation, this will help us to focus much better in the prayer.
Besides, what we say and do reflect the condition of our heart.
3. Do we purify ourselves everyday?
In verse 4 of this chapter, it mentions about zakah or charity. However, according to Ust. Nouman, the purification is not just about our properties, but it covers everything that need to be purified. How we manage our anger, treating the problem of lowering the gaze, etc. If we realize our inner problem, we will try to be honest with ourselves, knowing what is good and what is bad. Then, slowly, we will put ourselves to work, to clean ourselves.
4. Have we guard ourselves from shamelessness?
The next verse tells us about the problem regarding men and women. The solution for this problem, besides abstinence is marriage. See how clearly it is mentioned, yet we really love to find an opposite sex companion just for fun.
However, the broad tafseer of this verse, shamelessness is any wrongdoings that we possibly do. Why is it said as shamelessness? ...because, people are supposed to feel shame on the bad things they have done. If they are not feeling anything against their wrongdoings, it shows the hearts had stained.
5. Do we fulfill the trust and keep the promises?
Generally we know, the opposites of the above behavior is the quality of a hypocrites (munafiq). May Allah protect us from being in the group of munafiqun.
Easier said than done.
But "whoever fears climbing the mountain, will stay forever in the ditch" (Pakistani proverb).
Are we trying to be somebody else rather that being among the believers? Ok, if you would want to choose, the choice, maybe you can just look through the names of the chapters in the quran, to find out what other groups of people 'available'.
They are: Al Mukminun- the believers (chapter 23), Al Munafiqun- the hypocrites (chapter 63), Al Kafirun- the disbelievers (chapter 109).
This is first advice for myself. May Allah protect us all, and grant us lots of guidance, forgiveness and mercy.
Jazakumullahukhayr for reading and reflecting... Forgive me for the mistakes in this writing:)
It's been a looooooong time since my last post. This blog seems like a 'shy to live, refuse to die' (hidup segan mati tak mahu).hahaha... Lots of things I wanted to share though.. but there were always obstacles in doing it.
So, not to babble too much, here's a sharing of our Mawar Sisters' Circle yesterday.
The Characteristics of The Believers.
There are lots of definition of being successful. We know really well what the examples are: great job, good salary, good contribution to the community, successful and happy family, etc. Yet, they are all definitions that were set by human, for this life in the world. We now are not going to live here forever. No doubt, we are now walking to another world which lasts FOREVER. The hereafter.
So Allah's definition is far more satisfying. He explains that the successful people, are the ones who end up in Paradise, they abide there in forever. While, everything that occurs in this life, is not more than a test.
" Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving;" (Al Mulk:2)
So, who are the people considered successful by Allah? The answer is so simple. The believers (orang- orang beriman). Allah tells us in the very first verse of Surah Al Mukminun.
Here it goes, Surah Al Mukminun, which we read and discussed yesterday.
1. Focus or khusyu' in prayers.
2. Avoid vain activities and conversation.
3. Purifying themselves.
4. Guard themselves from shamelessness.
5. Fulfill the trust and keep their promises.
Here is some description taken from Ustaz Nouman Ali Khan's Friday sermon on youtube.
IN the first verse; Allah says in the very beginning: Qad aflahal mu'minun.
The word 'qad' is to stress out, that the believers for sure are going to be successful, no doubt about it.
aflaha means suceed. Aflaha is taken from the word fallaaha, which means farmer. Why do Allah chooses this words among many words in Arabic text? Because, when we reflect the life of farmers in any part of the world, we will know how hard their life is. They need to work out from growing the seed, watering it, put the fertilisers, to deal with the weather and pests that damage the crops. Finally, at the end of the year, they can harvest their crops. After all of the process and hard work, sometimes they do not get good results.
Therefore, the chosen of the word aflaha shows the succession after a very long, tiring, hard work.
Whereas al mukminun are those people who have mature in faith. Do us?
Let's check it out.
1. Are we khusyu' in prayer enough?
Because when we are able to focus in our prayer, MasyaAllah.. the outcomes is shown in our act outside the prayer. Maybe if we don't how to imagine how good it is, we can read the story of the companions (r.a) of Rasulullah (saw) .
To focus in our prayer, we need to do it early, or precisely, ON TIME. Therefore, we will make sure to take care of how the time between the prayers is spent, because it is for sure, affect our attention in the prayer.
2. Are we guarding ourselves from involving in the vain talks and activities?
...that is the activities and conversation that has no benefit especially for the hereafter.
By taking care of ourselves from engaging in this kind of situation, this will help us to focus much better in the prayer.
Besides, what we say and do reflect the condition of our heart.
3. Do we purify ourselves everyday?
In verse 4 of this chapter, it mentions about zakah or charity. However, according to Ust. Nouman, the purification is not just about our properties, but it covers everything that need to be purified. How we manage our anger, treating the problem of lowering the gaze, etc. If we realize our inner problem, we will try to be honest with ourselves, knowing what is good and what is bad. Then, slowly, we will put ourselves to work, to clean ourselves.
4. Have we guard ourselves from shamelessness?
The next verse tells us about the problem regarding men and women. The solution for this problem, besides abstinence is marriage. See how clearly it is mentioned, yet we really love to find an opposite sex companion just for fun.
However, the broad tafseer of this verse, shamelessness is any wrongdoings that we possibly do. Why is it said as shamelessness? ...because, people are supposed to feel shame on the bad things they have done. If they are not feeling anything against their wrongdoings, it shows the hearts had stained.
5. Do we fulfill the trust and keep the promises?
Generally we know, the opposites of the above behavior is the quality of a hypocrites (munafiq). May Allah protect us from being in the group of munafiqun.
Easier said than done.
But "whoever fears climbing the mountain, will stay forever in the ditch" (Pakistani proverb).
Are we trying to be somebody else rather that being among the believers? Ok, if you would want to choose, the choice, maybe you can just look through the names of the chapters in the quran, to find out what other groups of people 'available'.
They are: Al Mukminun- the believers (chapter 23), Al Munafiqun- the hypocrites (chapter 63), Al Kafirun- the disbelievers (chapter 109).
This is first advice for myself. May Allah protect us all, and grant us lots of guidance, forgiveness and mercy.
Jazakumullahukhayr for reading and reflecting... Forgive me for the mistakes in this writing:)
Thanks very much shidah. Sharing is caring.may all of us always istiqamah in doing good deed.insyaallah
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading too kak durra.. may Allah strengthen us always:)
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