Oleh Dr. Zakir Naik

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Written by alFaisal
http://demipena.blogspot.com
*This article was published in InSight, Institusi Usrah’s magazine

There was a time when I had experienced first hand – a discussion that was supposed to bring people together was turned into a bashing fest instead. No one could see reason, everybody was too busy pointing fingers and blaming each other. Scapegoating was the order of the day, when the simple fact was that each and every one who was involved had all contributed to the problem at hand.

I spoke up at one point, how could this be only due to one person's fault? There could not be just one who's totally right and another who's totally wrong. We should acknowledge our own culpability in this matter, and then we can try to seek a way to solve this problem.

There was a quiet pause, and it almost felt like everyone had suddenly realized something. Like a truce, hoping against hope that we could do this together. But no. No such luck. It took only a few seconds to pass before the blaming started all over again.

MIRRORS AND PERISCOPES

My friends and I, we used to pass this huge mirror along the hallways every time we went on our way to perform the Friday prayers. It was funny how we could never help ourselves from glancing at the mirror, and taking a good look of ourselves. Did we look fine? No? Was the hair in place? How about the clothes? And so on and so forth.

How amazing it would be, if we would also be willing to hold up a mirror to the person within – the mirror for our own self-reflection, to see where have we gone wrong and take the action to improve ourselves.

For seemingly such mundane objects, there's an interesting clash of nature between mirrors and periscopes. The former gives a full reflection of yourself, while the latter gives a reflection of others instead. Tying this into the issue of self-reflection, it's a very fitting analogy on how we should always evaluate and look within ourselves instead of judging others for their faults and mistakes, while ignoring our own shortcomings.

Self-reflection is an essential part of a Muslim's faith. In the Holy Quran, Allah S.W.T says,

“O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and let every soul look to what (provision) He has sent forth for the morrow.” [al-Hashr 59:18]

Allah S.W.T asks the believers to always contemplate on what we have kept and prepared, for the day when we shall stand in front of our Lord. The indirect wisdom that can be learnt from the above verse is that a Muslim should always check themselves, just like the way we would stand in front of a mirror to ensure the finesse of our appearances.

In life, we tend to forget to examine ourselves and overlook our own faults when difficult situations arise. We are inclined to blame everything an everyone else, saying that it's them who needs to be fixed and changed. As long as we refuse to be recognize our own agency and act towards improvement, those kind of problems and conflicts would never go away, even when others have taken steps to make a change for the better.

Everything starts from ourselves. Inscribed on the tomb of an 11th century Anglican bishop inside Westminster Abbey, are these timeless words of wisdom:

“When I was young and free my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it, too, seemed immovable. As I grew in my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it. And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realized: If I had only changed my self first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed my world.”

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“Weh abang Aziz suruh kita bawak lagu baru ni”, Syed menyapa.

“Dia cakap lagu ni dah nak dikeluarkan daripada tracklist.Tapi kalau kita bawak ok, akan dimasukkan semula. Kau tengoklah apa boleh tambah, tukar lirik ke kasi menyegarkan sikit”, Syed lalu menyerahkan sebuah lagu.

“Ni untuk projek apa pulak ni?”, saya curious.

“Mini album untuk kutip sumbangan bagi kat rumah Raudhatus Sakinah”, Syed menjawab.

Itulah pertama kali saya mendengar lagu Tidur Bangun Dengan Nama-Mu. Lebih kurang satu tahun lepas. Ketika lagu tersebut tunggu masa hendak digugurkan daripada senarai atas pelbagai sebab. Kami sendiri tidak menyangka akan diberi kepercayaan untuk membawa lagu tersebut yang akhirnya sinonim dengan kumpulan Demascus.

“Aku tambah rap boleh? Rasanya ada mesej yang boleh kena dengan lagu ni”, Saya mencadangkan. Syed cukup bersetuju malah menggalakkan.

Satu tindakan berani mati juga sebenarnya ketika itu. Disebabkan sudah lama tidak rap di dalam bahasa Inggeris. Kali terakhir saya terlibat dengan lagu rap berbahasa Inggeris tidak silap beberapa tahun sebelumnya. Ketika masih aktif dengan muzik hip hop. Lagu rap Inggeris terakhir yang saya libatkan diri adalah sebuah ‘diss track’ bertajuk Improper Burial. Nyanyian (baca: rap) bersama dengan Illevate, Familyboy dan Phrotz.

Improper burial, the more corpses the merrier.
Massacre…man’s pride is the anger.
We burn, even hell cries for heaven.
We’re the sequel of torture and the ending of pleasant.

Masih segar dalam ingatan lirik hook atau korus lagu tersebut. Kini saya sudah tidak berapa gemar lagi dengan lagu bermesej sebegitu.

Apa pula yang ingin saya rap untuk sebuah lagu yang sekadar mengalunkan doa tidur dan bangun tidur? Saya cuba hayati doa tersebut. Ternyata doa tersebut tidak sekadar doa kosong. Ia membawa peringatan.

بِاسْمِكَ اللّهُمَّ أَحْيَا وَأَمُوت

Dengan nama Mu Ya Allah Ku hidup dan ku mati.

Dan saya terkesan dengan doa bangun tidur yang berbunyi,

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ اَلَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَمَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُور

Segala puji, hanya untuk Mu. Kau menghidupkan setelah kau mematikan kami. Hanya kepada Mu, kami semua pasti dibangkitkan semula.

Segala puji buat Tuhan yang masih membangkitkan kita saban hari. Saya terfikir, boleh saja untuk Tuhan mematikan diri ini dalam tidur. Apatah lagi diri ini hamba yang lalai. Hamba yang sentiasa melanggar arahan. Hamba yang sentiasa terjerumus atau menjerumuskan diri ke dalam kesilapan.

Tetapi Dia yang Maha Pemurah terus membangkitkan kita setiap hari. Saya melihat, bagi yang mahu berfikir, ini seakan peluang yang Tuhan beri. Peluang yang diberi selagi belum tibanya mati.

Maka saya meluahkan di dalam rangkap rap saya apa yang terilham dalam fikiran. Kalau dulu ketika remaja luahan dalam rangkap-rangkap rap saya penuh dengan kemarahan pada segalanya, kutukan dan kekeliruan ‘mencari’ Tuhan. Kali ini rangkap yang akan saya luahkan adalah rangkap yang tunduk akur. Betapa Pemurah dan Pengasihnya Allah Azza wa Jalla.

Bismikallah in the name of Thee
My every reason to live, every reason to give
As I woke up still fine still breathing right
Looking high at the sky with a feeling hard to describe
How loving are You God, it could just be the end when I sleep
But You keep giving me chances, with an opportunity to see
And I would like to seek Your true path, I've always been too bad
Last night before I sleep all of a sudden...
I'm getting too scared

I ain't prepared, my Lord please, please forgive me
Thank You Allah, thank You for letting me live,
Touched by Your mercy, I'll be a good servant
On this stage of life till You put down the curtain

HITUNG DAN FIKIRKAN

Saya sering fikirkan, kalau Tuhan inginkan saya mati. Mudah saja bagi-Nya untuk tidak dikembalikan nyawa ini bagi meneruskan pinjaman.

اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الأنْفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَى عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الأخْرَى إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

Allah (Yang Menguasai Segala-galanya), Dia mengambil dan memisahkan satu-satu jiwa dari badannya, jiwa orang yang sampai ajalnya semasa matinya dan jiwa orang yang tidak mati: Dalam masa tidurnya; kemudian Dia menahan jiwa orang yang Dia tetapkan matinya dan melepaskan balik jiwa yang lain (ke badannya) sehingga sampai ajalnya yang ditentukan. Sesungguhnya yang demikian itu mengandungi tanda-tanda yang membuktikan kekuasaan Allah bagi kaum yang berfikir (untuk memahaminya). [az-Zumar 39:42]

Tetapi Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala terus membangkitkan kita saban hari. Bukankah dengan terusnya dapat bernafas bermakna kita masih berpeluang, peluang untuk kembali ke jalan Tuhan yang lurus?

Hitunglah sendiri, sehingga ke hari ini. Sudah berapa kali kita dapat bangun daripada tidur dalam keadaan masih bernyawa. Bagi yang kuat tidur, tentu sekali lebih banyaklah ia bangun daripada tidur. Kalau setiap kali kita bangkit dari tidur itu peluang. Hitunglah sendiri sudah berapa banyak peluang Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala berikan pada kita hanya dengan membenarkan kita bangun tidur sahaja.

يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا وَلاَ يُبَالِي إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Wahai hamba-hambaKu yang telah melampaui batas terhadap diri mereka sendiri (dengan perbuatan-perbuatan maksiat), janganlah kamu berputus asa dari rahmat Allah, kerana sesungguhnya Allah mengampunkan segala dosa; sesungguhnya Dialah jua Yang Maha Pengampun, lagi Maha Mengasihani. [az-Zumar 39:53]

Selagi masih ada masa, selagi masih punya kesempatan. Kembalilah ke jalan Tuhan. Lihatlah setiap yang berlaku di sekeliling dengan pandangan yang berfikir, berfikir akan peringatan-peringatan.

alFaisal
Cyberjaya
24 April 2008 / 17 Rabi’ul Awkhir 1429
8.30 pm
http://demipena.blogspot.com

::Klik sini untuk muat turun Tidur Bangun Dengan Nama-Mu::

::Klik sini untuk info mini album Aku Ori Bukan Fotokopi ::

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Saya menerima sebaran sebuah hadis yang bunyinya agak familiar namun matannya tidak seperti hadis yang pernah saya dengar sebelum ini. Hadisnya berbunyi,

Pernah satu ketika, sedang Rasulullah berkumpul di dalam satu majlis bersama para sahabat, tiba-tiba bergenang air mata Baginda Rasulullah s.a.w. Para sahabat gelisah melihat sesuatu yang tidak mereka senangi di wajah Rasulullah. Bila ditanyakan oleh Saidina Abu Bakar, baginda mengatakan bahawa baginda terlalu merindui umatnya di akhir zaman yang disebut–sebut sebagai ikhwannya. Para sahabat merasa iri hati, hinggakan Saidina Abu Bakar bertanya, “Bukankah kami ini ikhwanmu?Tidak, Abu Bakar, kamu semua adalah sahabat-sahabatku,kata Rasulullah. Ikhwanku itu,menurut Rasulullah s.a.w, adalah mereka yang belum pernah melihatku, tetapi mereka beriman dan mencintaiku. Aku sangat rindu untuk bertemu mereka.

Saya tidak dapat untuk terus menerima hadis tersebut tanpa menyelidiki dan memastikan ianya benar-benar sahih. Disiplin yang saya amalkan itu seringkali ada yang mencebik dan tidak kurang juga selalu mendapat perli.

“Haa Edry, confirm betul ke ni? Soheh ke tak Soheh ni? Haha”, dengan nada perli dan bukannya merujuk soalan tersebut kepada hadis pun.

Ya disiplin tegas itu sememangnya ‘menarik’ untuk dijadikan bahan sinis. Saya percaya orang yang sudah mendengar penuh penghayatan kisah kepayahan para imam hadis mengumpul dan meneliti hadis. Tidak akan memandang remeh disiplin sebegitu.

Orang yang pernah berdepan dengan anti-hadis atau anti-Islam yang merendah-rendahkan ketulenan kalam Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wasalalm. Lalu kemudian perlu menjawab hujah mereka dengan pemahaman ilmu hadis. Tidak akan memandang remeh disiplin sebegitu.

Mengapa saya seringkali hendak mengetahui kedudukan status sesuatu hadis sebelum menerimanya? Disebabkan itulah disiplin para sahabat, tabi’in dan tabi’ tabi’in sehingga menjadi sebahagian disiplin dalam ilmu hadis.

Tak perlulah saya jelaskan panjang lebar. Perkara ini sudah berulang kali saya sebut dalam tulisan. Bagi yang celik hatinya pasti memahami sebabnya seperti mana yang saya tuliskan dalam entri Hadis Doa Jibril dan Sikap Kita Berinteraksi Dengan Hadis dan entri Isnad Itu Sebahagian Dari Agama.

BERTANYA

Dalam saya menyelidik, saya menemui beberapa hadis yang mirip tetapi tidak ketemu yang serupa dengan matan di atas. Saya turut bertanya kepada Ustaz Adlan kerana pastinya beliau lebih arif.

Beliau juga menyatakan sekadar pencarian beliau, beliau hanya menemui sebuah hadis mirip seperti di atas tetapi tetap berbeza. Hadis tersebut adalah hadis daripada Abu Hurairah radhiallahu ‘anh, katanya:

أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أتى المقبرة فقال: "السلام عليكم دار قوم مؤمنين. وإنا، إن شاء الله، بكم لاحقون. وددت أنا قد رأينا إخواننا" قالوا: أولسنا إخوانك يا رسول الله؟ قال "أنتم أصحابي. وإخواننا الذين لم يأتوا بعد". فقالوا: كيف تعرف من لم يأت بعد من أمتك يا رسول الله؟ فقال "أرأيت لو أن رجلا له خيل غر محجلة. بين ظهري خيل دهم بهم. ألا يعرف خيله؟" قالوا: بلى. يا رسول الله! قال "فإنهم يأتون غرا محجلين من الوضوء. وأنا فرطهم على الحوض. ألا ليذادن رجال عن حوضي كما يذاد البعير الضال. أناديهم: ألا هلم! فيقال: إنهم قد بدلوا بعدك. فأقول: سحقا سحقا".

Pada suatu ketika, Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam berkunjung ke suatu perkuburan, lalu beliau mengucapkan salam, “Selamatlah kamu wahai penduduk kampung orang-orang mukmin. InsyAllah kami akan menyusul kamu sekalian.”

Setelah itu baginda bersabda, “Aku ingin benar, kalau kita dapat melihat saudara-saudara (ikhwaanana) kita.” Berkatalah para sahabat, “Bukankah kami ini saudara-saudaramu, wahai Rasulullah?”

Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam menjawab, “Anda semua adalah para sahabatku. Saudara-saudara kita yang ku maksudkan ialah orang-orang yang belum datang, tetapi akan datang kelak di hari kiamat.”

Mereka bertanya, “Bagaimana engkau dapat mengenali umatmu yang belum tetapi akan di hari kemudian wahai Rasulullah?” Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam menjawab, “Bagaimana pendapat kamu, jika seseorang mempunyai kuda yang putih keningnya, putih kakinya dan putih tangannya. Kemudian kuda itu berada di tengah banyak kuda tetapi hitam kesemuanya. Dapatkah orang mengenali kudanya?”

Mereka menjawab, “Tentu wahai Rasulullah!” Sabda Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam, “ Nah, mereka itu akan datang nanti dalam keadaan putih bercahaya muka, tangan dan kakinya kerana bekas wudhuk! Aku pula mengalu-alukan kehadiran mereka di (pinggir) telagaku (Haudh). Oleh itu janganlah ada sesiapa dari kamu yang dihalangi mendekati kolamku bagaikan unta liar di halau dari mendekati kolam minuman. (Waktu itu ) Aku menyeru mereka dengan berkata; marilah, segeralah, ayuh cepat (minum). Tapi (ada segolongan yang dihalang lalu aku katakan: mereka adalah umatku) Lalu di jawab: Mereka telah bertukar (agama) sepeninggalanmu. Aku pun berkata: Pergilah jauh-jauh!” [Sahih Muslim – no: 249]

Ternyata matan hadis yang disebarkan kepada saya itu berbeza dengan hadis yang dikeluarkan oleh Imam Muslim di dalam sahihnya. Selain itu saya tersedar yang hadis itu bunyinya begitu familiar kerana saya pernah mendengar sebuah hadis yang juga mirip dengan hadis tersebut. Hadis daripada Abu ‘Ubaidah Al-Jarrah, baliau bertanya kepada Rasulullah s.a.w;

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ أَحَدٌ خَيْرٌ مِنَّا أَسْلَمْنَا مَعَكَ وَجَاهَدْنَا مَعَكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَوْمٌ يَكُونُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِي وَلَمْ يَرَوْنِي

"Wahai Rasulullah s.a.w, adakah manusia yang lebih baik dari kami? (sedangkan) Kami Islam bersama-sama kamu dan kami berjihad bersama-sama kamu." Menjawab Baginda s.a.w: "Ya (ada) iaitu kaum yang berada selepas dari kamu, mereka beriman denganku, sedangkan mereka tidak pernah melihatku." [Musnad Ahmad - no:16362, dinilai sahih oleh al-Albani dalam Misykat al-Masobih - no:6282 dan Syaikh al-Arnouth dalam semakannya keatas Musnad Ahmad - no: 6282]

Kini seakan-akan, hadis yang disebarkan itu adalah kacukan daripada kedua hadis yang saya kemukakan di atas.

Setakat pencarian saya juga, saya gagal menemui hadis yang disebarkan itu di dalam mana-mana kitab hadis. Sepatutnya yang menyebarkan itulah bertanggung jawab membawa bukti kesasihannya sebagaimana kes Abu Musa di rumah ‘Umar al-Khattab radhiallahu'anhuma.

MENASIHAT TANPA HADIS

Mungkin ada yang kecewa, kalau dah hadis yang diambil tanpa teliti pun salah. Baik tak payah saling memberi peringatan atau mengajak pada Islam lagi!

Saya ingin berkongsi pengalaman saya. Kadangkala, apabila saya diperlukan memberi tazkirah. Pernah saya telupa dan ragu-ragu dengan sebuah hadis yang pernah saya hafal. Sekiranya mengenangkan matlamat, boleh sahaja saya redah menggunakan hadis tersebut. Apa salahnya, untuk nasihat bukan? Benda baik.

Tetapi saya juga faham bahawa matlamat tidak menghalalkan cara. Pengetahuan yang saya ada bukan untuk pameran, tetapi merupakan amanah. Maka atas sebab itu saya tidak mahu niat baik saya disertai perbuatan terlarang.

Apabila saya terlupa atau tidak jelas dengan status suatu hadis. Apa yang biasa saya lakukan adalah, saya berkongsi nasihat baik tanpa menyertakan hadis yang saya lupa. Atau saya gunakan hadis lain.

Banyak cara untuk memberi nasihat. Tanpa terhad menggunakan hadis sahaja. Ayat al-Qur’an itu sendiri banyak boleh digunakan. Tidak salah juga hendak menggunakan hadis bagi tujuan menasihat atau saling mengingatkan. Cuma pelajari dan perhatikanlah disiplinnya.

Entri ini bukan untuk membunuh semangat, tetapi untuk sama-sama kita beringat.

Wallahua’lam.

alFaisal
Cyberjaya
23 April 2008 / 16 Rabi’ul Awkhir 1429
6.21 am
http://demipena.blogspot.com

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Perserta MUKHTAR '08 menjawab 'final exam'

“Aku belajar baca al-Qur’an ikut riwayat Hafsh saja”, saya berbual dengan para peserta sebentar sambil-sambil bantu mereka tasmi’ bacaan.

Riwayat Hafs adalah qira’ah yang diriwayatkan oleh Imam Hafsh bin Sulaiman dari Abu Bakar 'Ashim bin Abi An-Najudi Al-Kufi (salah seorang imam qira’ah sab’ah).

“Apa? Belajar kat white house?”, Fid salah seorang perserta yang nakal menyampuk.

“Riwayat Hafs lah. Kita di Malaysia biasanya dalam bacaan al-Qur'an belajar riwayat Hafs. Habis tu selama ni kau belajar riwayat apa?”, saya cuba bergurau dengan melontarkan soalan.

“Saya sebelum ni belajar riwayat Tirmizi, riwayat Bukhari…”, jawab Fid dengan muka selamba.

Tersembur saya mendengar jawapannya. Terkeliru rupanya budak ni antara riwayat-riwayat hadis dengan riwayat-riwayat cara bacaan al-Qur’an. Tu la lain kali jangan suka melawan orang lebih tua hehe.

satu cubaan mempopularkan Fid :P

Untuk program Mukhtar kali ini saya menawarkan diri untuk menjadi urusetia sahaja. Disebabkan saya perlu meninggalkan tapak mukhayyam seketika untuk meraikan undangan membuat persembahan di Majlis Apresiasi Seni Al-Amin 2008. Selain Demascus, mereka juga turut menjemput kumpulan Mirwana.

Sangat berbesar hati, malam itu kami diajak oleh kumpulan Mirwana untuk mendendangkan lagu Semalam secara accapella bersama. Awalnya kami agak cuak kerana sebelum ini kami hanya mendendangkannya dalam bentuk akustik. Versi accapella agak mencabar untuk dinyanyikan.

Memandangkan Akmal Mirwana kelihatan bersungguh-sungguh mengajak kami menyanyikan bersama, kami menerima dengan besar hati. Lagipun pun kami pernah berlatih menyanyikan lagu tersebut dalam bentuk Accapella.

Lepak-lepak sambil memanaskan suara bersama Mirwana.

Terima kasih daun keladi diucapkan buat Sekolah al-Amin kerana menjemput. Kalau ada umur panjang boleh kita bertemu lagi. Sesiapa yang hadir pada Majlis Apresiasi Seni Al-Amin 2008 dan ada mengambil gambar kami terutama ketika membuat persembahan bersama dengan Mirwana, bolehlah kongsikan dengan menghantarnya kepada saya melalui e-mail alfaisal_yusof[at]yahoo[dot]com.

alFaisal
Cyberjaya
21 April 2008 / 14 Rabi’ul Awkhir 1429
4.55 pm
http://demipena.blogspot.com

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Written by alFaisal
Edited by Habibah Binti Abdul Razak
Cyberjaya
17 April 2008/ 10 Rabiul Akhir 1429
http://demipena.blogspot.com

Mohandas K. Gandhi once said, “It is the duty of every cultured man or woman to read sympathetically the scriptures of the world. If we are to respect others' religions as we would have them respect our own, a friendly study of the world's religions is a sacred duty.”

If you do not agree that it is a duty, then just take Gandhi’s words as an advice and consider it as one of the options for peaceful interfaith approach.

To me, the idea of a religion is reflected from every single message within its scriptures, since the scriptures are able to speak to us much more than what we can see from its followers. And yet Malaysia, for a country which is so rich with its multi ethnic and multi religion communities, is very lacking in people who would actually take the initiative to embrace the spirit of what Gandhi had called upon.

But not so for Ash. A man with brilliant thoughts, a good friend and my rap guru, he's the very first person I've known who has made a genuine effort to study the scriptures from other faiths. He's a Hindu and yet that does not stop him from reading the Bible and the Quran. I was only a young teenager back then, and I couldn't bring myself to even touch any scriptures other the Quran. There had always been a permeated sense of how taboo it is to read other religion's scriptures.

But as I grew up, I finally gave myself a chance to see what the scriptures besides the Quran have to say, to help me in understanding about other people's faiths. But it takes more than just a simple reading, having a clear perspective of the history and background of the scriptures is very important in understanding it.

For example, to read the verse of 1 Corinthians of the Bible and simply assume that the whole book was written by Jesus Christ, would be terribly erroneous and a severe case of ignorance. Lack of interest in research and exploring the background of a scripture would definitely lead the reader towards confusion and misconceptions.

THE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND OF QURAN

This is an invitation to learn briefly about Muslims' Holy Scripture, the Quran. You don't have to become a Muslim or a future Muslim to know this. Regardless of what your opinions are about Islam, you still have every right to know this information.

Quran is an Arabic word, which literally means 'the recitation' or 'the reading'. Muslims believe that it is the Word of God, which He had revealed to His Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. It was memorized by Prophet Muhammad and then was dictated to his companions.

Before analyzing the Quran or going deep into its history, a question should be asked. Are the words in the Quran that we have today exactly the same with the ones revealed to us through Prophet Muhammad centuries ago? This is an important issue to resolve, because there would be no point in discussing the Quran itself if what we have today has been changed from its revelation to the Muslims during the time of Prophet Muhammad.

In order to answer that question, we need to look into the methods on how the Quran has been preserved to this very day, which includes:

[1] Memorization

[2] Recorded in writing

It is through the combination of these two elements that has ensured the preservation of the Quran.

MEMORIZATION

The literacy level in Arab back then was not like what it is today -- not everybody had the ability to write down the revelation. But everybody was able to recite the verses and commit them to memory.

Prophet Muhammad had encouraged his companions to learn and practice each verse of the revelation and transmit it to others. To recite the Quran regularly is an encouraged act of worship. Besides that, it is also compulsory to recite the Quran in the daily ritual/prayers called 'solah'. In other words, the verses of Quran were repeatedly recited by the believers, memorized and used in the daily prayers (solah). And everything that I have just mentioned is still happening to this day.

During the time of Prophet Muhammad (even before it), memorization was like a second nature to the Arabs. Dr. Michael Zwettler, an expert in Classical Arabic language and literature, as well as in pre- and early Islamic culture and civilization had mentioned:

“The poetry of Arabs, in the ages which preceded the rise of Islamism, was perpetuated by oral tradition; for in ancient times, when writing was not used or scarcely used, memory was exercised and strengthened to a degree now almost unknown.”

If it has crossed your mind on how impossible it is to memorize the whole Quran, consider this. Today, when the literacy level is far better than centuries ago, we still have hundreds of thousands of people who memorized the whole Quran. And each Muslim would definitely memorize at least one or two Surah (chapter) from the Quran.

For the early Muslims among the companions of Prophet Muhammad, it was much easier for them to memorize since the Quran took approximately 23 years before the entire revelation came to an end. With the Arabs' memorization culture and the capacity of time in over two decades for them to absorb the Quran, nothing is impossible.

RECORDED IN WRITING

Other than the companions who had followed Prophet Muhammad in reciting the text by heart, there were also some of them who were able to read and write. Those companions had acted as scribes and wrote down the verses. Prophet Muhammad was unlettered, he did not know how to read and write, and therefore he called upon numerous scribes to write for him.

But the Quran that was recorded in writings during the the time of Prophet Muhammad was not in the form of a book. The materials used to record the verses were many – stones bark of trees, wood, cloth and various other things. The task of collecting Quran as a book was undertaken by Abu Bakr, the leader of the Muslims after Prophet Muhammad's death.

QURAN IN THE FORM OF MANUSCRIPT

Below are the simplified chronicles on how the Quran was compiled into the form of a book.

Abu Bakr (the first Caliph and successor to the Prophet) had ordered Zaid Bin Thabit to collect the Quran into one manuscript six months after the death of Prophet Muhammad. It was suggested by Umar al-Khattab (who would later become Abu Bakr's successor), worried about the great number of Qurra (memorizers of the Quran) who had been killed during the battle of Yamama.

A committee was formed to complete this task of collecting the written Quranic material in the form of a single book, led by Zaid Bin Thabit himself. The compilers had insisted on very stringent criteria when it came to examining the written material that had been submitted to them as a safeguard against any errors.

This manuscript of the Quran remained with Abu Bakr until he died. It was then passed on to and remained with Umar al-Khattab (successor to Abu Bakr). After Umar al-Khattab died, the manuscript stayed with Hafsah, Umar’s daughter and wife of Prophet Muhammad.

The copy of the Quran that was prepared and compiled by the committee had also included the list of memorizers of the Quran who had been unanimously approved by the Muslim world. If the committee had made the slightest error, tens of hundreds of the Qurra (memorizers of the Quran) would be able to notice and correct it.

That is how the memorization and written records of the Quran complement each other, offering a check and balance method in preserving the Quran from any slight change or error during its compilation.

Until to this very day, anyone who tried to create a false Quran will fail miserably because any error is easy to be detected by the Muslims. Even if entire copies of the Quran today are burned until there's no copy left in the whole world, there's no worries at all since we would still have the 'copies' in the heart of those who memorized the whole Quran.

QURAN DURING THE TIME OF UTHMAN

First of all, a person who studies the history of Islam should be very clear in making the distinction between Caliph Uthman and the caliphs of the Ottoman Empire. I've encountered who have made this mistake, when they heard Caliph Uthman had made an official copy of Quran in the Quraishi dialect (the dialect in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet and was memorized by his companions), they thought he was one of the caliphs from Ottoman Empire.

Quran was originally revealed in the Quraishi dialect of Arabic. But God then revealed the Quran into seven dialects to facilitate the people who did not speak other dialects. During the time of Caliph Uthman (one of Prophet Muhammad's companions and the successor to Umar al-Khattab), the differences in reading the Quran among the different tribes were getting obvious. The situation worsened when each tribe started claiming that their way of reciting was the correct one.

Uthman then took a proactive approach by making an official copy of Quran in the Quraishi dialect. It should be noted that this compilation of the Quran by the Uthman Committee is not a new version of Quran. It is still the Quran with the same message that what has been revealed by God through Prophet Muhammad, and the purpose of this new copy is simply as an official standardization of the dialect.

In order to accomplish this, Uthman had asked Hafsah for the copy of the manuscript that had been compiled during the time of Abu Bakr so that he could compile the Quranic material in perfect copies. The early copy prepared by Abu Bakr served as the principal basis of the new one. He asked Zaid Bin Thabit again and a few other companions of the Prophet to rewrite the manuscript in perfect copies.

When it had been completed, Uthman sent the perfect copy to each major city like Makkah, Madinah, Damascus, Kufah and Basrah.

Uthman then proceeded to burn any other copies other than this final copy. Although the action was quite drastic, it was for the betterment and the harmony of the whole Muslim community. Uthman's action had also been unanimously approved by the companions of the Prophet.

Uzbekistan - Holy Koran Mushaf of Othman

The final copy that had been perfectly compiled by Uthman can still be seen until today. The copy that Uthman had sent to Madina was removed by the Turkish authorities to Istanbul. The treaty of Versailles contains the following clause:

“'Article 246: Within six months from the coming into force of the present Treaty, Germany will restore to His Majesty, King of Hedjaz, the original Koran of Caliph Othman, which was removed from Madina by the Turkish authorities and is stated to have been presented to the ex-Emperor William II".” [Fred L. Israel, Major Peace Treaties of Modern History, New York, Chelsea House Pub., Vol. II, p. 1418]

The copy reached Tashkent in 1924 and it remains there until today. Visit the link below to see the news and UNESCO reports about the copy.

Tashkent's hidden Islamic Relic [click]

Uzbekistan - Holy Koran Mushaf of Othman (UNESCO) [click]

THEY SAID…

Sir William Muir in Life of Mohamet said, "There is probably no other book in the world which has remained twelve centuries (now fourteen) with so pure a text".

In Geschichte des Qorans (History of the Quran), the book written by Theodore Noeldeke, Friedrich Schwally (who had helped Noeldeke) had mentioned in the book, “As far as the various pieces of revelation are concerned, we may be confident that their text has been generally transmitted exactly as it was found in the Prophet’s legacy.”

I hope that this simple explanation and chronology of the history and background of the Quran would help my brothers and sisters from other religions to have a quick understanding about the Quran. I have tried my best not to burden readers with heavy historical facts and quotes. More personal research and endeavor are greatly encouraged for those who would like to gain more information than what I have shared here.

Galileo Galilei said, “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”

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bersama Fuad dan adik-adik dari rumah kebajikan

"Ey jangan lari-lari dekat situ, karang terjatuh dalam air tu,” saya cuba mengawal dua orang kanak-kanak yang sedang tolak menolak berhampiran kolam air di Masjid Negara.

Boleh tahan penat melayan adik-adik dari rumah kebajikan anak yatim tersebut. Kadang kala membuatkan saya terfikir, begitulah agaknya penat cikgu-cikgu menghadapi kenakalan saya di sekolah.

Biro Promosi, Informasi dan Publisiti,Institusi Usrah mengadakan program lawatan ke Muzium Kesenian Islam Malaysia bersama dengan adik-adik dari sebuah rumah kebajikan anak yatim di Puchong. Melayan adik-adik kecil memang memenatkan tetapi membuatkan hati rasa bahagia. Bahagia melihat wajah mereka tersenyum, sekalipun punya kesulitan dalam hidup yang tersendiri.

Selepas program selesai di Muzium Kesenian Islam, kami menghantar adik-adik menaiki bas dan mengucapkan selamat jalan kepada mereka. Kami bergerak pula menuju ke Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur 2008 di PWTC. Kami berpecah di sana dan dikehendaki berkumpul semula pada pukul 8 malam.

Saya, Fuad, Zack dan Abadi bersama-sama ‘bertawaf’ mencari buku yang diidamkan. Saya bertindak bagai tour guide pula kali ini kerana setiap tingkat saya sudah pusing sekurang-kurangnya dua kali pada minggu sebelumnya.

Dimanakah Fuad di dalam gambar ini?

Saya ke sana pada sabtu lepas dengan harapan mencari buku sulung Ustaz Hasrizal bertajuk Aku Terima Nikahnya. Akibat terlupa nombor booth jualan dan nama publisher buku tersebut, saya menghabiskan masa ‘scan’ setiap rak buku yang ada di PWTC.

Oleh sebab itu kali kedua berpeluang ke PWTC, tidak boleh tidak saya mesti mendapatkannya. Apabila tiba di booth kelihatan ustaz ada disana.

“Assalamualaikum ustaz, ingat saya lagi tak?” Saya menegur.

Kami berbual ringkas kerana saya tidak berhasrat menggangu ustaz yang kelihatan penat. Selepas mendapatkan apa yang dihajati, meminta autograf beliau dan membayar di kauter. Saya kemudian kembali semula,

“Ustaz, boleh bergambar? Saya pun dah kena penyakit Yus dah ni hehe,” saya memohon untuk bergambar.

“Takpa, kalau penyakit yang baik apa salahnya,” Ustaz membalas dengan senyuman.

Bersama ustaz Hasrizal - nantilah apabila saya 'Terima Nikahnya' saya jemput ustaz :P (caption balas buat gambar di saifulislam.com)

BUKU YANG DIBELI

Saya cuba mendisiplinkan diri berbelanja untuk pesta buku kali ini kerana perlu berjimat-cermat. Cadangnya hendak sekadar membeli buku Ustaz Hasrizal sahaja, tetapi tersasar juga tadi. Saya membeli dua buah buku.

Saya sudah mengkhatamkan Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus (MFMWFV) dan sedang dalam rangka membacanya kali kedua. Dengan terbitnya buku Aku Terima Nikahnya ini saya merasakan bagai diberi peluang melihat kupasan ustaz pula dalam ruang praktikal dan lebih Islami. Ustaz bukan sahaja sebagai seorang yang juga sudah membaca MFMWFV namun turut berpengalaman dalam lapangan dakwah. Moga dengan ini ia menambah lagi rencah penyedap bagi hidangan ilmu yang sudah saya perolehi melalui MFMWFV. Atas sebab itu saya memilih untuk membelinya.

Semenjak kelas Media Law beberapa tahun lepas, ini adalah antara buku yang saya punya keinginan mencari namun seringkali terlupa. Jadi hari ini, apabila ternampak kelibat booth yang menjual buku undang-undang. Saya terus menyambarnya, khuatir saya akan terlupa lagi.

“Eh, kamu pelajar law ke?” Soalan yang terpancul apabila saya sedang menunjukkan buku-buku yang saya beli.

“Sekalipun subjek Media Law sudah lama tamat, saya masih perlu peduli!” Bisik dalam hati.

alFaisal
Cyberjaya
14 April 2008 / 7 Rabi’ul Awal 1429
1.00 am
http://demipena.blogspot.com

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If you are a devoted Christian, what would it be like for you if you heard someone quoting Jesus Christ from the following verse?

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn

A man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—“ [Matthew 10:34-35]

Not only that, this someone also goes further by associating it with brutal images and ignoring the right context of that verse within the Christianity's perspective. I am very sure that would be something very unpleasant and hurtful for our Christian brothers and sisters.

I brought the example above with only one intention: To give my brothers and sisters from other religions on the big picture of how easily a religious scripture can be twisted and misquoted out of context. But the worst thing is when people who are misquoting the scripture are deliberately doing it simply out blind and deep hatred towards those religions.

Why am I suddenly writing about this? If any of the readers have been aware lately, there is an issue about a short movie called Fitna produced by Geert Wilders. I believe it has distributed widely and the film can also be watched easily on Youtube.

The short movie quotes a few verses from the Quran, Islam’s holy scripture and accompanied it not only with selective translation of the verses, but also with brutal and violent images. As a viewer, it is easy to catch on and be impressed with what the movie is trying to put across. That is, the idea of Islam being a religion which encourages violence, war and terrorism.

The verses quoted by the movie do indeed exist in the Quran, just like the verse I've quoted from the Bible earlier. But what is actually missing from the movie are the actual full verses and their right context.

HOW WAS THE QURAN MISQUOTED?

We shall see the technique used by Wilders in order to convince people that Islam teaches and encourages terrorism. In Fitna, Wilders translated (in his own way) surah (chapter) number 8, verse number 60 as:

“Prepare for them whatever force and cavalry ye are able of gathering; to strike terror into the hearts of the enemies of Allah and your enemies.”

With that verse, he comes to the conclusion straight away that the Quran teaches violence and aggression. This is actually what the verse has said in its entirety:

“Hence, make ready against them whatever force and war mounts you are able to muster, so that you might deter thereby the enemy of God, who are your enemy as well, and others besides them of whom you do not know, [but] of whom God do know; and whatever you may expend in God's cause shall be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.”

In the full actual verse, it stated the phrase, “whom you do not know” (لا تعلمونهم) and this particular phrase has been taken out from the translation in the movie. If this verse is simply about ordering Muslims to go out to wage war and terror, then why would it ask them to terrorize or declare war towards an unknown entity? It's because that is not what the verse actually means. The correct understanding and context of this verse has been mentioned and clarified by Dr. Jamal Badawi in a Q&A Live Dialogue session on IslamOnline.net:

“…for this verse simply means that Muslims, like any other community or state, past or present, should have the means to defend themselves against potential aggression and that such preparedness is in itself intended to frighten, or deter in modern language, the enemy from waging war. The result of this is actually to minimize the chances of war and unnecessary bloodshed, which is good for all.”

Almost all nations of the world today have their own armies, but it doesn't mean the sole purpose of these forces are just for calculated invasions. More often than not, they are first and foremost regarded as a preparation for defense and the need to deter the enemy if there's any attempt of invasions or other kinds of offensive attacks.

After verse number 60 which has asked the Muslims to prepare themselves for any potential aggression from the enemy, the following verse from number 61 gives another good advice:

“But if they (the enemy) incline to peace, incline thou to it as well, and place thy trust in God: verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing!”

And it's no wonder that this verse, which is very clear cut in its encouragement for peace and benevolence, is nowhere to be seen in a movie like Fitna that has every intention to portray Islam as a religion of hatred and terrorism instead.

I won't be answering every single one of the misquotations, but I believe the one example I've put forward in this article is enough to get the point across. If you are sincere to learn more about the truth of those verses or simply about Islam in general, I highly recommend the websites below:

Holy Quran Translation [click]

What is Islam? (audio)[click]

What is Islam? (text) [click]

Q & A With Dr. Jamal Badawi @ islamonline.net Regarding Fitna [click]

Muslim and Non-Muslim Relations Reflections on Some Qur’anic Texts [click]

Jihad and Warfare [click]

STUDY THE RELIGION NOT THE FOLLOWERS

I believe that it is not fair for someone who sincerely wants to study a religion to simply draw conclusions from the behaviour of its followers, and I consider it as an injustice to judge the religion just by going with the actions of some followers that might have gone astray from the actual teachings of the religion, or some who have never actually understood the teachings in the first place at all.

To become a manual guide for humanity, a religion should be perfect but it does not mean it can guarantee people into becoming perfect themselves. The simple reason is that no one would ever be perfect, whether he's instilled with religion or not. Therefore, a follower from any religion would always be an imperfect being, although he would struggle to become better. Judging a religion simply through its followers will not give the correct picture of the whole religion itself.

As someone who appreciates social harmony and likes to study other people's faiths, I have to always make sure that I'd discipline myself not to simply theorize or create my own understanding about other religions. I keep myself reminded that I should always look at everything objectively, the same way in which I'd study my own religion. I also realize that I cannot simply judge a religion just going by its imperfect followers.

Fitna should be lesson learnt by all, even to the Muslims themselves. I feel very uncomfortable and disheartened some Muslims who'd study other religion scriptures but take it upon themselves to theorize and come to conclusions simply from their perspectives alone. They might have good intentions and do not have any wish to mock other religions, but the outcome would be more or less just the same with Wilders', barring a few exceptions of course. So this incident should be a reminder for them as well.

There have been too many attempts to fuel the hatred and enmity among people of different faiths and beliefs, whereas only a small amount of effort has been given to understand each other and live harmoniously. Learn how to agree to disagree. And when it comes down to it, any effort to make a difference should always start from ourselves.

alFaisal
Cyberjaya
8th April 2008 / 1 Rabi’ul Akhir 1429
2.30 am
http://demipena.blogspot.com

*credit to Habibah for the editing.

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*entri ini mengandungi font Bahasa Cina yang mungkin tidak dapat dipaparkan oleh browser anda.

知彼知己，百战不殆；不知彼而知己，一胜一负；不知彼，不知己，每战必殆。

Mengenali musuh (dan) mengenali diri sendiri, sebanyak mana pun pertempuran tidak akan membahayakan. Tidak mengenali musuh tetapi mengenali diri sendiri, satu kemenangan (dan) satu kegagalan; Tidak mengenali musuh, tidak mengenali diri sendiri, setiap pertempuran pasti membahayakan. (terjemahan bebas)

Kata-kata diatas dinukil daripada sebuah kitab seni perperangan yang biasa dikenali dengan nama 孙子兵法 (Sun Zi Bing Fa). Dipetik daripada bab Strategi Serangan (谋攻). Kitab tersebut merupakan antara kitab tertua membahaskan mengenai seni strategi peperangan.

Hari ini, Sun Zi Bing Fa tidak sekadar menjadi rujukan bersifat militer semata tetapi telah diluaskan skopnya kepada strategi perniagaan, perhubungan dan pelbagai lagi. Strateginya yang fleksibel dan pratikal membuatkan saya jatuh cinta padanya ketika pertama kali membacanya sewaktu di bangku sekolah rendah.

Di dalam ungkapan tersebut, 彼 (bi) yang secara literal bermaksud ‘pihak lain’ saya terjemahkan di atas sebagai ‘musuh’ kerana mengikut konteks Sun Zi Bing Fa yang membicarakan strategi perperangan.

Saya pernah menggunakan ungkapan di atas dalam ceramah saya. Ya, bukan ceramah tentang perperangan tetapi tentang dakwah! Apakah relevennya saya petik ungkapan dari sebuah kitab seni perperangan?

KENAL

Ungkapan diatas telah pun sebenarnya diterjemahkan ke dalam pelbagai konteks baik pengurusan, perniagaan, perhubungan dan pelbagai lagi. Baiklah mari kita lihat dahulu bagaimana ungkapan diatas boleh diterjemahkan dari alam kempen peperangan yang melibatkan ribuan askar kepada alam kempen dakwah.

Mengenali pihak lain (dan) mengenali diri sendiri, sebanyak mana pun pertempuran tidak akan membahayakan. Tidak mengenali pihak lain tetapi mengenali diri sendiri, satu kemenangan (dan) satu kegagalan; Tidak mengenali musuh, tidak mengenali diri sendiri, setiap pertempuran pasti membahayakan.”

Di dalam konteks dakwah pula ianya boleh diterjemahkan,

“Mengenali sasaran dakwah (dan) mengenali diri sendiri, sebanyak mana pun kempen dan tindakan tidak akan mendedahkan kepada kegagalan. Tidak mengenali sasaran dakwah tetapi mengenali diri sendiri, akan ada kejayaan tetapi terselit kegagalan; Tidak mengenali sasaran dakwah, tidak mengenali diri sendiri, setiap kempen dakwah pun terdedah kepada kegagalan.”

Terdapat sesetengah orang yang mempunyai semangat dakwah yang tinggi tetapi tidak mahu langsung cuba memahami dan mengenali sasaran dakwah mereka.

Terdapat kelompok yang mirip kelakuannya seperti yang saya sebutkan di atas, bukan sahaja enggan memperluaskan ilmu, adakalanya turut mengkritik orang lain yang cuba keluar dari kempopong pemikiran seperti mereka.

Ini pasti biasa didengari bagi mereka yang terlibat dengan ilmu perbandingan agama contohnya. Semangat mengkaji agama-agama lain diperlekehkan, ditimbus dengan hujah bahawa cukuplah mendalami sedalam-dalamnya agama sendiri sahaja.

“Tidak mengenali pihak lain tetapi mengenali diri sendiri, satu kemenangan (dan) satu kegagalan,”

Usaha cuba memahami agama, kepercayaan, fahaman orang lain memudahkan kita tahu sensitiviti, pantang larang, corak pemikiran, teologi dan kebudayaan mereka yang mana ianya berguna untuk membantu melancarkan usaha dakwah.

Namun tentulah tidak lupa keperluan mengenali diri sendiri. Dalam konteks dakwah, mengenali kemampuan diri amat perlu agar kita tidak kecundang bertindak di luar kemampuan. Manakala dalam konteks sekiranya Islam itu adalah ‘produk’ yang ingin kita ‘pasarkan’, tentu sekali amat penting untuk kita kenali dan mengetahui dengan jelas ‘produk’ kita agar pemasaran lebih berkesan.

Kalau dilihat kepada ungkapan sebentar tadi, mengenali diri sendiri adalah syarat minima untuk sekurang-kurangnya memperoleh sedikit keuntungan. Sekalipun begitu untuk mendapat yang terbaik tentu sekali mengenali diri dan pihak yang menjadi sasaran.

AKIBAT TIDAK MENGENAL DIRI SENDIRI DAN MUSUH

Pada tahun 383 Masehi, Fu Jian (符坚;337-385) meghimpun lebih kurang 870,000 tentera bersedia untuk menyerang Jin timur. Apabila dinasihatkan untuk jangan memandang rendah musuhnya yang mampu mengarahkan khidmat orang seperti Xie An (谢安; 320-385) dan Huan Chong (桓冲;328-384), Fu jian dengan bongkaknya membalas,

“Aku mempunyai penduduk lapan wilayah di belakangku, infantri dan tentera berkuda menghampiri satu juta; mereka mampu mengempang air sungai Yang Zi dengan hanya mencampakkan cemeti mereka ke dalam aliran sungai. Bahaya apa yang perlu aku takutkan?”

Ketika berperang di sungai Fei, tentera Jin meminta tentera Qin (tentera Fu Jian) yang sudah menduduki seberang sungai agar berundur sedikit agar dapat memberikan ruang kepada mereka menyeberang sungai dan meneruskan perperangan. Fu Jian bersetuju kerana menyangka general-general Jin tidak punya pengetahuan mengenai perperangan. Maka bolehlah dia mengambil peluang ketika tentera Jin menyeberang sungai untuk menyerang mereka.

Apabila Fu Jian mengarahkan tenteranya mundur, tentera-tenteranya mula tertanya mengapa arahan secara tiba-tiba untuk berundur dikeluarkan. Dalam keadaan masih tertanya-tanya, mereka berundur dengan morale yang sudah menurun. Strategi tentera Jin sudah mengena. Tiba-tiba terdengar jeritan “askar Qin sudah ditewaskan”, tentera Qin mula panik dan berlaku kucar-kacir.

Tentera Jin mengambil peluang suasana kekacauan tentera Qin untuk menyeberang sungai dan melancarkan serangan dan menewaskan tentera Qin yang sudah kucar-kacir melarikan diri.

Tentu sekali terdapat pelbagai faktor yang menjadi punca kekalahan tentera Qin. Namun yang pasti, salah satunya adalah kerana Fu Jian yang tidak mengenali kemampuan general-general tentera Jin dan memandang rendah mereka.

Dia juga tidak mempedulikan kemampuan tenteranya yang kebanyakkannya tidak cukup terlatih. Dia tidak mengenali musuhnya dan tidak mengenali kemampuan tenteranya. Akibatnya, kekalahan Fu Jian adalah antara kekalahan yang terkenal dalam lipatan sejarah.

Renungkanlah ungkapan tadi tidak kira di dalam bidang apapun anda ceburi.

alFaisal
Cyberjaya
1 April 2008 / 24 Rabi’ul Awal 1429
8.00 pm
http://demipena.blogspot.com

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