Thursday, May 20, 2010

Our Small Place in Allah's Creation - Salman al-Oadah

Sebuah artikel menarik daripada Syeikh Salman al-Oadah...dari laman web islamtoday.net...


Our Small Place in Allah's Creation
by Syeikh Salman al-Oadah

People sometimes fancy themselves as being all-important, looking disdainfully from side to side, holding their noses high in the air. But if they would only regard these great and awe-inspiring creations around them, it would give them a sense of humility and they would become humble before their Lord.

Things to Consider:

1. At the time of conception, between five and six hundred million sperm cells pass through the vaginal tract, each of them capable of fertilizing the egg and becoming a human being. But Allah in His wisdom selects one from all of those millions to fertilize the egg, and this one will develop into the fully-formed human being Allah chooses to create, a being that by Allah’s grace possesses the capacity to reason and to dispose of its affairs.

This is how we were all created, so we should feel humility in recognition of the greatness and grandeur of our Lord. We should remember our humble beginnings so we can appreciate the vast difference between that little drop of mixed fluid from which we were conceived and the fully formed human beings we are today. This should compel us to glorify Allah, remain aware of Him at all times, and thank Him.

2. There are over one hundred trillion cells in the human body. Inside each of these cells are organelles, systems, complex processes, and vast stores of information. Each and every detail of the cell glorifies its Lord while carrying out its role in the cell in an exemplary manner.

The nucleus of each cell contains roughly 31 billion nucleotides – the four molecular “letters” on the DNA molecule that spell out the genetic traits of the living organism and regulate its functioning. It is this information that an organism inherits from its father and mother.

This vast number of molecular “letters” that make up our DNA are duplicated in every one of the hundred trillion cells of our bodies. Each one of these letters attests to the greatness of Allah who created them.

3. When we look up at the night sky, we stare off into the vastness of space and the billions of galaxies that are over our heads. Each galaxy is in turn a conglomeration of billions of stars, and these stars are all at various stages in their life-cycles. Some are in the process of being formed. Some are young, others mature, while others are in the throes of death. Each of these stars glorifies Allah in space the vastness of which boggles the mind. Allah alone knows the full extent of the universe. If we imagine a space ship capable of travelling at the speed of light, 186 thousand miles per second, it would take thousands of years for that spaceship to cross a single galaxy, let alone what is beyond it.

Allah says: “But nay! I swear by all that you see, and by all that you do not see.” [Sūrah al-Hāqqah: 38-39]

Allah also says: “Nay, I swear by the places of the stars, and verily that is a tremendous oath, if you but knew.” [Sūrah al-Wāqi`ah: 75-76]

A given galaxy might contain from 100 million to a billion stars, and every day scientists are discovering something new about outer space. The means of observation presently available to science are still quite limited. We, as created beings, should see the greatness of Allah in His creation and view ourselves with humility.

The natural world is an open book that extols the praises of Allah. “The seven heavens and the Earth and all that is therein praise Him, and there is not a thing but hymns His praise; but you do not understand their praise.” [Sūrah al-Isrā’: 44]

Allah also says: “Do you not see that all things that are in the heavens and on Earth bow down in worship to Allah – the Sun, the Moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals, and a great number of human beings? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for punishment. And those whom Allah shall disgrace none can raise to honor, for Allah carries out all that He wills.” [Sūrah al-Hajj: 18]

All the beauty and splendor of the universe that we can see is but a small glimpse of the Creator’s ingenuity.

When a believer reflects on Allah’s creation, it reveals something of the greatness of Allah and His immense wisdom. It brings peace to the believing heart and fortifies a believer’s faith.

Allah says: “Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and the alternation of night and day are indeed Signs for people of understanding – those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the Earth, saying: Our Lord! You have not created this in vain! Glory be to You. Save us then from the chastisement of the fire:” [Sūrah Āl `Imrān: 190-191]

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Ini Bukan Sikap Penuntut Ilmu...

-Tulisan ini khusus untuk mereka yang mempelajari ilmu hadith...

Saya ialah seorang penuntut ilmu...dan saya akan terus begitu selagi mana saya sedar ilmu itu lautan luas yang tidak bertepi.

Nasihat saya kali ini khusus saya tujukan kepada mereka yang terlalu mengagungkan salah seorang ulama hadith moden, syeikh al-Albani.

Secara ringkasnya, terdapat dua golongan yang agak melampau dalam menilai usaha dan hasil karya syeikh al-Albani. Golongan pertama ialah yang menganggap syeikh al-Albani langsung tidak ada sebarang jasa, dan menganggap beliau sesat dan menyimpang dari jalan yang benar.

Golongan kedua pula - yang saya tujukan kepada mereka nasihat ini - menganggap syeikh al-Albani yang terbaik dan pendapatnya dalam hadith dan fiqh boleh mengatasi ulama silam dan beliaulah ulama paling tulen.

Golongan pertama dan kedua ini lahir kerana keduanya melampaui batas rasional dan adab sopan. Mungkin pandangan golongan pertama lahir kerana golongan kedua terlalu angkuh menobatkan syeikh al-Albani sebagai satu-satunya muhaddith agung. Mungkin juga serangan balas pihak pertama menyebabkan pihak kedua bertambah taksub?

Fokus tulisan saya yang ringkas kali ini ialah tentang sikap yang baru saya temui (mungkin anda telah lama tahu) terdapat dalam kalangan golongan kedua iaitu mereka yang terlalu mengkagumi syeikh al-Albani. Sikap itu ialah:

- Apabila mereka menilai pandangan ulama lain yang salah atau tidak tepat dengan dalil, mereka akan bersungguh-sungguh menyatakan bahawa mereka ikut dalil, mereka ikut kebenaran, mereka ikut pandangan ulama tulen, ulama salaf dan sebagainya.Mereka akan menyatakan bahawa sehebat mana ulama itu pun dia tidak maksum. Mereka begitu mudah dan tidak malu menyebut bahawa Imam2 Fiqh seperti Imam al-Syafie, Imam Malik dan lain-lain lagi - salah, silap, tak jumpa hadith, menyalahi kaedah bahasa arab dan lain-lain dakwaan melucukan! Mereka juga tidak segan silu dengan angkuhnya menyatakan bahawa imam2 hadith pula salah mengaplikasikan kaedah ilmu hadith! Imam2 hadith tak jumpa hadith...tak tahu ia dhaif! Pelbagai lagi dakwaan biadap...

TETAPI...apabila mereka terserempak atau terjumpa dengan pandangan syeikh al-Albani yang menyalahi kebenaran, menyalahi dalil, menyalahi ijmak muhaddithin atau fuqaha', mereka begitu lembut dan berlapang dada...sehinggakan mereka berkata ' ini soal ijtihad, masing2 dapat pahala'...'kita hendaklah menghargai jasa ulama'...'kita hormat semua orang'...'kita mesti cakap dengan bahasa sopan'.

Inilah sikap berat sebelah yang cukup memualkan dalam kalangan mereka yang mendakwa mereka memperjuangkan aliran salaf. Mereka mendakwa mereka ingin tajdid kembali kepada salaf. Tetapi adakah salaf yang mereka maksudkan itu salaf yang hanya sesuai dengan aliran mereka?

Contoh mudah utk mengakhiri tulisan ringkas ini - apabila Syeikh al-ALbani menilai sesuatu hadith dengan penilaian 'sahih'....golongan yang taksub ini tidak lagi menoleh ke belakang utk melihat penilaian imam2 hadith agung yang lebih hebat di kurun kegemilangan Islam seperti Imam2 Yahya al-Qattan, Abd. Rahman Bin Mahdi, Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Yahya Bin Ma'in, al-Bukhari sehinggalah kepada yang lain seperti al-Nasaai atau al-Daraqutni...tidak. mereka cukup dengan kata putus syeikh al-Albani.

Lebih malang apabila ada di antara mereka yang menoleh juga sejenak ke belakang...namun apabila mereka dapati ada imam2 awal telah menilai hadith itu sebagai dhaif....nah! Anda akan melihat bermacam2 alasan diberikan utk tetap 'memenangkan' pandangan syeikh al-Albani.

adakah ini kajian ilmiah? adakah ini semangat tajdid? adakah ini namanya beradab dengan ulama? adakah ini namanya mengagungkan salaf? mereka menolak pandangan ulama salaf...ya mereka menolaknya dan mereka siang malam bertempik ...kami salafi...kami menyokong tajdid.

Saya tidak menulis utk menginsafkan mereka kerana mereka awal2 lagi tidak mahu mendengar. tapi saya menulis untuk menyatakan kekesalan dan menginsafi kelemahan diri.

Jangan kerana ilmu yang sedikit...kita sibuk menghentam pihak itu dan ini...akhirnya kita terperangkap apabila kita sendiri yang menyalahi apa yang kita seru dan perjuangkan.

* artikel ini ditujukan utk mereka yang taksub sahaja. kalau anda tidak, saya katakan ...barakallahu fiika...