Something Happened and I Want You To Know

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim..
May every second pass isn't wasted for things other than for the sake of Allah
Insha-Allah..

I really can't stop thinking about what happened to me yesterday. I know i have final paper today but i really can't take all these off my mind until i write them all down. InshaAllah..

Having so called 'last minute' group revision+ discussion yesterday, our head had started to cramp up-stuck,blur,empty.. That's when we started to realize.."Ok, we need a break"..

While we were walking down to the mahallah cafe, i saw these two good sisters (may Allah bless them) that i met last time in one of the hadith classes. MashaAllah. Didn't expect to meet them, again. Alhamdulillah.. It was then, the conversation we had that makes me wonder-ponder about lots of things.. Things that most of us might have taken lightly.. Naudzhubillah.. It was at this point, everything started..

We complained about seeing 'couples' walking together side by side when at first we thought was a married couple until another friend who knows them said they are not. And to add, she said, they are students from religious courses..

"Akak ngaku, ramai dari kos Al-Quran and As-Sunnah sendiri tak amik berat pasal semua ni.."

Ouch. That really is painful to hear..

I thought, people who learnt revealed knowledge should know more and being more particular and sensitive regarding this issue-more than other people who are not majoring, specializing all those religious subjects in these religious courses- because i thought, maybe you could lead us to what's right and wrong as you know better than us..


PART 1: INTERMINGLING-IKHTILAT

And more.. She told me that there are ikhwan (muslim brothers) who are so religious-very knowledgeable, intelligent.. BUT there are some who don't observe their attitude towards their friends around them who are girls.. They talk to these girls as if they are halal for him to talk too and some of them even eat with these women in the same table!..Wait.. He what?

Yeah. U read me. They intermingle with sisters who are halal for them to get married with which is not yet halal for them. You know what i mean- not nikah with yet. Hm.. Sincerely, they don't have the qualities that i look for a muslim leader and even if he's to be my leader in my family- i don't want him. Naudzhubillah.. (But Allah knows best-everyone will be tested)

As far as i could remember, what she said (or something like that) really surprised me-at that very moment.. Really was SHOCKING..

OK. I'm not generalizing or being stereotype or something. It wasn't just about those from religious courses but as i said before, i believe they should know better..(However, i admit regardless of what courses you take, what background you have, there are people who are concern about their muamalah..)

We were talking about intermingling- IKHTILAT, between women and men. And we were not talking about the permissible intermingling with reasons, but we were talking about the intermingling with reasons that we THINK it's permissible all this while with the facts that they are actually NOT. They sound the same to you, i assume. Because they sounded the same to me too, before this.

"Ok. Let's have meeting at the library. Exactly by 8pm, everyone should be there. We'll try to finish everything up before 10.15pm inshaAllah. So prepare your task i've given-let's not waste our time."

Or..

"Ok. Brothers and sisters. I suggest we have our meeting at Evoke Cafe. Perhaps around 12.30pm? We can have lunch together. What do you think?" and majority will say yes..

Do these 2 'meeting' seem the same to you?
I'll tell you what..

"NO. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME"

It's like things which are islamic and with things that are islamized..
They are not the same..

So..

"What's up with all these courses thing? They are still human. IMPERFECT human being-with weaknesses. So stop comparing people from religious courses with other courses..!", you might say..

Now i'll tell you what i wanted to tell you at the first place..

First, i'll tell you what i think about my religion-OUR religion, ISLAM. Everytime i came to talk about Islam (just anything about Islam!), all that i could feel, see and think of is its BEAUTY, PURITY, PERFECTION. I believe and will always believe that Islam is special because it's a REVEALED knowledge. And i came to know that ISLAM IS PERFECT, UNFORTUNATELY MUSLIMS ARE NOT.

Ok. Khalas. I know all these..

Second, it was then i started to get to know who's Prophet Muhammad s.a.w, other prophets, the great first generation of Al-Quran, and people from the generation after like Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh, Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi.. All these made me feel, "MashaAllah! Awesome.. These men-muslim men are great figures in Islam!" and has made me proud to be a muslim and a part of beloved Muhammad's (s.a.w) ummah. Alhamdulillah!

At the end, all these motivate me more in learning MORE about this beautiful and awesome religion-ISLAM.

"WAIT. Why are you telling me all these? What do they had to do with ikhtilat that you were talking about?.." You are confuse huh?..

Yeah you should be confuse if u didn't see what's coming up all these while. And that just sadden me and i believe others too-It's painful to see the truth, bitter to find it out.

All these while, do you know what i expected from most people from these religious courses?
To be an examplery brothers, leaders.. A qudwah hasanah in our times, that could resembles the teachings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.. His (s.a.w) manners, leadership.. I'm not telling you nor demanding you to be like him-impossible! I know that.. But like i said- BE A QUDWAH IN TODAY'S WORLD THAT RESEMBLES HIM (S.A.W)..

"MashaAllah.. All these brothers are great leaders! Great examples! Good to see people like them-GREAT MUSLIMS!"

Yes, this is what i want to hear from people out there when they look at you..
So please, don't disappoint us..
We are waiting to see leaders with the QUALITIES that Islam wants..
The qualities shapened with the teachings of Al-Quran and As-Sunnah..
The same qualities we learned and found from Umar Al-Khattab-A leader who fears of Allah and hopes on HIS mercy at all times
The same qualities we found from Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh-A young leader who was so smart, brave- till he could finally conquered Constantinople..
And other qualities from other great leaders and scholars!

So, who are all these great figures anyway?
They are the people who succeed as how Allah has mentioned in The Quraan, i believe in many verses.. They are the people that REALLY fears Allah, those of whom Allah has gifted TAQWA in their heart.. And i believe..

To have spirit alone isn't enough without knowledge..
And to have knowledge alone isn't gonna work without putting some efforts..

And i'm hoping to see these future 'ustadz' to lead the ummah, our way to what pleases Allah in everything we do..
NOT the kinda ustadz or leader that neglect and NOT observing his muamalah..
NOT lowering his gaze..
Because you don't expect a full-time doctor to come out give nasihah aw fatwa to the ummah?
Don't expect full-time business men to lead our way in living nad defending the Sunnah?..
We expect people who are the members of the Quran and As-Sunnah to lead our way..
You who learn this deen more than us..


PART 2: THE EYES RESEMBLE THE HEART

Do you know that the eyes are the windows of our limb? The eyes actually reflect the heart and the heart reflects your emaan..

As what a close friend of mine once said,
"I don't believe in his piety, he doesn't lower his gaze and he talks to women unnecessarily. i don't want that kinda man to be my husband.."

Ok.. She got her point there..
She said who would want to have somebody who doesn't observe his muamalah eventhough he has good knowledge of ad-deen? And then to make him as a leader? Forget it..

And i'm telling all these to myself too for i'm a normal human being with all the weaknesses you see from me. Despite of the spirit that i have, spirit of seeing Islam being glorified again as the greatest civilisation again, i'm telling you again that with this very limited knowledge i have, with what i myself have experienced all this while, i just want all of us to ponder over all these matters and THEY REALLY ARE IMPORTANT.

Know this brothers and sisters that i came to love and concern for the sake of Islam..
Bad intermingling happens when we tend to ignore the importance of lowering our gazes- that is not to look at the haraam things but to look at things that Allah pleases with, you'll start to take this issue lightly. No more fearing Allah when you talk lagho things with people of the opposite gender. Plus, you will start to find it enjoying to do.. Naudzhubillah..

"Ala.. Just want to share thoughts.. that's all.. It's 'ilm anyway.."

Yeah2.. Then.. opps..

"I think i had a crush on her. Is this a good sign?.."

What good sign? That she could be your life partner?
What if u've talked to many sisters, are u going to say the same thing too?
Or let me guess, you are now confuse-"Which one to choose?"..

And trust me, it will never end this way.. After that, you'll start to call, meet her as often as you and her want and the list goes on...

Then the scariest thing comes-ZINA. Yes, even the least ZINA-ZINA with your HEART. You remember her more than remembering Allah.. What if that day is your last day? I mean, what if you are going to die on that very same day? Dying committing ZINA-your heart? Isn't that listed among the biggest sins? Naudzhubillah.. Let's not be daring enough to taste the HELLFIRE. Naudzhubillah..

Oo and yeah. About your eyes being used for whatever purpose you choose, don't you ever forget this; Your eyes aren't really yours anyway, Allah lend them to you n He could easily take them back..

Ok. Why am i telling you all these now? Because these are among the common issues i've heard from many friends of mine regardless of what courses they are from or societies- they keep complaining the same thing-ikhtilat!

Inappropriate talks in the meeting..
Some are VAIN and PLAIN talks..
And when someone cracks a joke, the muslimaat started to giggle here and there..
What a scenario!

This has happened in a kuliyyah delivered by one of my fave speakers. In this kuliyyah, the students: men and women are segragated where they can't see each other (being done for the sake of emaan). After the talk, during the Q&A session, a sister asked a qs behind the tabir they put in between these 2 groups of different genders. And wallahi, according to the ustadz, the sister spoke in a very sweet and lady-like tone! Guess what happened next? After the kuliyyah finished, many brothers approached the ustadz asking about the sister-"Has she married?"

Hey, i'm not condemning anyone here-not even condemning the brothers. But you see, if that's what happened when the tabir is on and that men's gaze is protected, what do you think will happen if the gaze isn't being lowered and taken care of?..

Now, can you see the importance of the eyes(the gaze) and its effect towards the heart(The emaan)? hope you do inshaAllah..

Another thing that disappoint me most is that these sisters of mine are among the members of some so called religious societies! Mm.. Still, some of these societies are not portraying the good and examplary muamalah that we all can practice with..

As i said before, this are just my thoughts, my observations supported by my experiences and limited knowlegde.. All good things come from Allah and all imperfections are from me as to my weaknesses..

Astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilaih..
May Allah forgive all the wrong sayings..
Ameen..