Pearls of Wisdom - Twins of Faith 2018 : Legacy (8-9 December 2018, KL)

💡📚PEARLS OF WISDOM - TWINS OF FAITH 2018 : "LEGACY" (8-9 December 2018, KL) 📚💡

#tof2018 #legacy

🤔Everything has a purpose: even your clothes. What is yours? If you haven't figure it out, rest assured, someone else will figure it out for you - perhaps Shaytan might define your purpose for you.

♻️Do not be like the rocking wooden horse - so much movement, yet zero progress. True Progress requires direction and vision!

📶Everything is "relative", never absolute - success, excellence, greatness - so choose your benchmarks carefully!

❗Remember : every single aspect of your success comes from Allah - Allah reminds us

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنسَاهُمْ أَنفُسَهُمْ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

"And do NOT be like those who forgot Allah - and so they forget themselves - they are the rebellious and disobedient" (Surah Al-Hashr, Verse 19)

When we forget this fact : we abandon shukr, we no longer think BIG - you won't aim high.
If you always remember that everything is from Allah - then you have THAT much hope in Allah to achieve greater success beyond imagination : because He is the Lord of the Universe and can grant anything He wills!

Our priority in LIFE : Know Allah, and Know yourself.

🧗‍♂️Recognize: whatever you do is WEAK. But you still have to do it - it is through your weak efforts, Allah opens the path towards success.
This is the essence of Tawakkul : effort, and trust

😩 Weakness amongst Malaysians (and the ummah as a whole) : complacent, unambitious - "Enough lah" attitude. We don't aim high: for our individual selves or for our ummah. We think, just "cukup makan" suffices. These are in fact the characteristics in which the Prophet taught us to seek refuge in Allah from!

😔🔥Two MAJOR characteristics we need to have to become great MOVERS in history :
1) Extreme Humility : with our Creator, the source of all Ability and Strength
2) Fierce Resolve : to put in the continuous effort and struggle to materialize our high amibition

⏳Reminders of death : make you uncomfortable? Uneasy? You should be THANKFUL you have reminders of your finite existence - and now that you have the urgency to PREPARE for it.

💌Our true home is Jannah : and we should all feel homesick to return to it. Not cling to this Earth. This dunya is only a stopover point. Which is why the Prophet reminds us

كُنْ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّك غَرِيبٌ أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ
"Be in this world as if you are a stranger, or a traveler" (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)

💤 Productivity tip : SLEEP EARLY - immediately after isha!
Sheikh Isam Rajab shared that his sheikh (Abdul Hakim Al-khatir) had a habit of ALWAYS sleeping early after isha. This enabled him to get up early, and in fact the only time he had available to check Sheikh Isam's memorization was a 1-hour window before Fajr: he did 8 pages a day, and in 3 months he finished.
Sleeping early - is a major keystone habit to getting stuff done without interruption : while the rest of the world are still asleep.

😓A nurse conducted study on what is the most common 'regret' when people are in their deathbeds: most of them would say "not spending more time with their loved ones".
So spend time with them NOW! Make every available opportunity to schedule those moments first, and everything else can come later.
Observation : no one ever regretted not having "more money", "bigger houses" or "better cars" - ironically the things which most of us seek every day.
There is NOTHING in this dunya to cry about!

🙇🏽‍♂️A well known da'ee who is paralyzed was once asked what does he want most: answered "I wish I could just make ONE prostration to Allah"
The very ability to make sujood to Allah in itself is a huge Blessing! Yet we take it for granted and (na'udzubillah) even think of it as a "burden"!

💝the Salafus Soleh (righteous predecessors) had desires too: They were human being like us too! But they TRAINED their hearts and desires with the light of iman and taqwa: and they SUPPPRESS these hopes and desires, knowing their grand purpose in life.

⁉️When people are asked "What is the Purpose of Life?" they get uncomfortable and choose to ignore it; not because the Question is difficult - but because the ANSWER is difficult : it implies accepting the reality - of death, day of Judgment and accountability - and working for it

📋Expectations can KILL marriage : especially in today's time when entertainment media has painted a false picture on who "the ideal husband" or "ideal woman" is.

🤗Live with zero expectations of your spouse (internally) : that way, when your husband/wife actually does something, you feel grateful
the key to happy marriage and in fact success Hereafter is Gratitude towards your husband/wife.

Be careful! Ingratitude can lead to hellfire. Keep your emotions in check.

"Hell was shown to me and most of its inhabitants were women.
They are ungrateful to their companions of life (husbands) and ungrateful to good deeds. If you are benevolent to one of them throughout the life and if she sees anything (undesirable) in you, she will say, 'I have never had any good from you.' " (narrated by Al-Bukhari)

💞#bff Mindset shift: Get your spouse to be your 'BEST FRIEND as a Lover'!
Mindset of "Best friend" is always healthy - you always care and are considerate for them, you do fun things together, you help each other fulfill each's others dreams, etc..
Establish this : parenting will become a healthy partnership and collaboration towards Building Your LEGACY at Home!

This was in fact how the Prophet treated his wives.

"The Best of you are the best towards his family - and I am the best of you"

أَكْمَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِيمَانًا أَحْسَنُهُمْ خُلُقًا وَخِيَارُكُمْ خِيَارُكُمْ لِنِسَائِهِمْ خُلُقًا
"The most perfect of believers are those who are best in manners.
And the best of you are the best to your wives" (At Tirmidzi, ibn Majah)

🔍Everyone has unique gifts, talents, capabilities. As parents and family members, our primary goal is to identify that potential : nurture it, and create the optimum conducive environment for that potential to be fully developed

🤝Aisya testified that in his every day conduct at home, The Prophet helped out do the housework and chores - like any other "normal" person

Lessons :
1. Success in the household - begins with teamwork
2. There is no job 'too low' or 'too derogatory' for a man to do - the Prophet was the greatest leader in human history, yet he did this "menial" household chores !

✨Our knowledge of the sunnah was ENRICHED by Aisya - she had a keen, inquisitive nature and always ask 'difficult' questions; she was very observant and would always be sensitive to the little details of the Prophet. She was also very blunt and her 'emotional tendencies' also teaches us a great deal about the chemistry of their household: how the Prophet would react as a husband - and how he dealt with internal conflict.

💬Asking questions is one of the greatest ways to learn : you benefit, but the teacher benefits as well. 

It gets the teacher to strengthen the depth of his/her knowledge, re-evaluate different perspectives, be more critical/conscious of the content and delivery - keeps the teacher SHARP. 

Imam Al-Bukhari - who was the teacher of Imam At-Tirmidzi - once told Imam At-Tirmidzi that "I benefitted more from you than you had benefitted from me" because Imam At-Tirmidzi had such an inquisitive nature and always asked him questions.

🎓 Aisya (radhiAllahu anha) was widely acknowledged as one of the greatest scholars of Islamic history - narrated over 2000 Hadith, and had over 300 major students amongst the companions and tabi'in. Even the companion Abu Musa Al-Asy'ari would consider Aisya to be the most knowledgeable in Hadith, halal and haram, poetry and medicine. 

This should tell us a lot about the true reality of the role of women in Islam which is always wrongly represented. We need to restore the glory of the women scholars in the ummah!

✊🏼the core of Leadership has to be INTEGRITY and AUTHENTICITY - or else, it only becomes a "Transactional Leadership" - where you only lead based on self interest, cost-benefit exchange process of conditional reinforcement

💖Leadership starts with yourself: Purge your own negativity and disease of the heart (e.g. Egoism, Arrogance, self-conceit, selfishness, greed, lust, intolerance, anger, lying, cheating, gossip, complacency).
If you can master and defeat these unseen internal enemies, then you will be READY and well-equipped to fight the enemy you SEE

🗣️Dealing with critics, keyboard warriors, and trolls:
1. Remember, your objective is NOT to please people - it is to please Allah.
2. What you see on social media is only a small fraction of people - a perception, not the REALITY
3. Critics - some of them are trolls, but there may be some who have some validity too. Handle criticisms like a champ: maintain composure, extract the good where you can, and get used to the discomfort knowing that you are developing yourself by navigating outside your comfort zone
4. Welcome healthy disagreements: this can widen our perspective and make us more mature in dealing with issues
5. When you get trolls attacking you and you get angry/emotional, procrastinate your response - "maybe I'll reply tomorrow". Eventually you'll let go. "The truly strong person is not the one who defeats others with his physical strength; rather, the truly strong person is the one who controls himself in anger" (Hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari)
6. You don't always have to respond and answer everything.
7. Pick your battles - Assess yourself and be truthful to yourself: what are your strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, limitations. Know where you can clarify and respond
8. Always remember lessons of the role of Prophets of Allah : Your primary job is only to Convey - if they refuse or reject, then  that is on them.

🏅The core of a "Champion mindset" is to always believe that you are inadequate, weak, and lousy - only then you will put in the serious effort to improve. Conversely, when we start believing we are 'awesome', we slack off, get complacent and deteriorate.
Pros always believe they are amateurs; Amateurs always believe they are pros. 

📋Your Legacy - just as anything important in life - requires proper planning and systematic approach. Or else it will just be "random". After all, 
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"

😩We seem to give the excuse that our modern lives are "too busy" - well, so we're the companions of Rasulullah!
But they knew where to prioritize, they had great ambition, passion, patience and resolve : and eventually collectively built the legacy of the Best of nations. The Prophet ﷺ said, 
خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ
"The best among mankind are of my generation, then those next to them, then those next to them" (Al-Bukhari, Muslim) 

🕰️ We all have 24 hours in a day : the question is how do you utilize YOUR 24 hours? 
Many of us give excuses of not having time. 
If you "don't have time", then you don't have "priorities" 

نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، الصِّحَّةُ وَالْفَرَاغُ ‏
"There are two blessings in which majority of mankind are frequently cheated of (i.e. Do not fully benefit them until they have been deprived of it):
Good health, and free time" (Hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari)

🤝Legacy doesn't necessarily mean being in the front lines, speaking in front of a stage, being the leader of a country - it can be as simple as collaborating and getting engaged in any roles in charitable organization, volunteering for da'wah / knowledge institutions - any good they leave behind of sadaqah jariah (continuous charity) or knowledge which is benefitted from will be a continuous accreditation to your account : even after your death!

"‏ إِذَا مَاتَ الإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ إِلاَّ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
"When a person dies, all of his deeds are cut off except 3: 
a continuous recurring charity (sadaqah jariah), 
knowledge which is continued to benefit others, 
and a righteous child who prays for the parent" (Hadith narrated by Muslim)

📖 We should aspire to have Life Changing goals and leave a legacy with respect to the Qur'an: establish proficiency, understanding and passion towards it in ourselves, and subsequently into the hearts of others. 

خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ
"The Best of you are those who Learn the Qur'an and teach it (to others)" (Hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari)

🌟The Qur'an is primarily a book of Guidance: we need to prioritize our efforts towards understanding. And yes, understanding Qur'an requires effort! 

Or else we would be just as Allah warned like those of donkeys: only carrying on their backs without any real benefit. 

📝 Importance of writing your will: none of us have any guarantee whatsoever that we will live through the day. What will happen to Our janazah? Our families? Our wealth? 

🤔 Writing your will is not only about "wealth" - there are far more important matters. How will your janazah be handled? If people are going to handle it with acts of innovation which are not condoned in the sunnah, imagine: you are responsible. I don't want to earn sins even in my death!

💸 Debts: No joke! Super important to communicate to others and especially in your will to write them down. This might be what prevents you from entering Jannah!

يُغْفَرُ لِلشَّهِيدِ كُلُّ ذَنْبٍ إِلاَّ الدَّيْنَ
All the sins of a Shahid (martyr) are forgiven except debt (Hadith Narrated by Muslim) 

🤲🏽 The moment of your death is when you are most in need of du'aa from your loved ones! This should make us rethink our priorities especially with regards to debt and 'passing responsibilities' after you die: 
I don't want to be a burden to my loved ones in my life, I certainly don't want to be a burden to them in my death. 

🙏🏽What you write in your will is a favor: not an obligation. Your family members have a choice to adhere to it or not (e.g. A wife writes "when I die, i do not want my husband to marry another wife")

💞 #bff Marriage EXCELLENCE challege: Live your life in such a way that, perhaps your spouse would want to write in their will:
"I love my husband/wife so much, that when I die, please MAKE SURE that he/she marries a righteous person, so that others may benefit from this great man/woman. So that he may raise more righteous children as a parent" - Allahu Akbar. 

📜Writing your will makes you a better person.
It puts into perspective what are the more important matters in life. 
When you read back your will many years later, it should make you reflect, "now that Allah has granted me this extended period in this dunya, am I any better than I was when I first wrote this?" 

أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ طَالَ عُمُرُهُ وَحَسُنَ عَمَلُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَأَىُّ النَّاسِ شَرٌّ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ طَالَ عُمُرُهُ وَسَاءَ عَمَلُهُ ‏"‏ ‏
The Prophet was asked, "Who is the best of mankind?" 
The Prophet responded, "He who lives a long life, and whose deeds are good" 
He was then asked, "Who is the worst?" 
And he responded, "He who lives a long life, and whose deeds are evil" (Hadith narrated by At-Tirmidhi) 

👣 We read the stories of the Prophet's to follow in their footsteps, not (merely) for "information". 
Do not take learning sirah like watching the news. 

🔒Lesson from Prophet Yusuf in prison : give da'wah no matter how bad the situation is! Prison is literally one of the worst places one could live in, yet Yusuf never used that as an excuse to weaken in his da'wah. 
Yet here we are in the most comfortable of living conditions, and giving excuse after excuse of not calling others to the path of Allah. 

🤗Nurturing Trust  as a da'ee: 
When the fellow prisoners asked for Yusuf's help to interpret their dream and subsequently opening a door for da'wah, they said
إِنَّا نَرَاكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
"We see you as a person who does a lot of good"  (Surah Yusuf, Verse 36)
Lesson: when you prove to people that you add value to their lives with your generosity and sincerity, they will trust you. This is when your opportunity for da'wah will appear. 
Conversely, when we portray bad akhlaq, this will bring in no desire for others to follow or listen to us. 

🕯️What saved you from Haram? Is it your own efforts? No - it is from Allah's Mercy that you were given the strength to refrain from sins. 
Do not think of haram as a 'burden' - rather,  your resolve to refrain from it is a sign that Allah loves you and wants good for you Hereafter. 

😇 True forgiveness and greatness of heart : when you have all the capability to take your revenge, but you choose to forgive them without any sense of respite whatsoever. 
That is what Yusuf did : his brothers 'bullied' him when he was a little boy, threw him into a well, which triggered a chain of events, leading him into being sold as a slave, accused of adultery, jailed until well into his adult years, and finally when he was appointed as Minister (al-Aziz) and had the upper hand against his brothers who did not recognize him, he simply responded as follows:

قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
He said: "No reproach on you this day, may Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!
(Surah Yusuf, Verse 92)

Amazing forgiveness! 

🔊The first and foremost key to carrying on the Legacy of Prophet Muhammad : by conveying his message to mankind. We all have a collective responsibility!

Surah Fussilat, Verse 33:
وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِّمَّن دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah, and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."



😍 The power of sadaqah (charity): As per the Hadith of the Prophet, a woman of the night (i.e. Prostitute) was forgiven of all her sins simply because she quenched the thirst of a dog - Can you imagine the rewards if we were to quench the thirst of our Muslim brother? 

✊🏼🔥There may come a point in your life when things get "difficult", temptation of laziness comes in : you just have to FORCE yourself through it - even though it's difficult, tiring or painful. 
That perseverence through our personal moments of hardship may be what defines our legacy.


🛣️Personal aspiration and legacy of our Shuyukh 
1. Sheikh Tariq Appleby : to be a strong mentor to the youth (the mentor he never had)
2. Sheikh Bilal Philips : to establish sustainable platforms that provide free education across the world by leveraging technology and the Internet via the Islamic online university 
3. Sheikh Abdur Rahim McCarthy : to establish the knowledge of the Qur'an amongst the ummah 

We make du'aa that Allah fulfills their ambition to leave behind a great legacy : and that perhaps we may assist them in whatever capacity we are able to

🔑 Key Takeaways : Establishing our Legacy entails 
1. Knowing ourselves, knowing Allah - there is no might or power except by Allah. Understand the definition of عبد الله : Be humble, at the same time have high aspirations and hopes of the Lord of the Universe 
2. Understanding our purpose in life - success Hereafter; keeping our "eyes on the prize" never lose sight of our goal and the nature of our finite existence 
3. Sabr - patience, resolve and steadfastness through the challenges. Stay committed, stay on course, Don't get weak, dont give yourself excuses. Be prepared for the grind and grit ahead to carve yourself towards greatness. 
4. Sincerity and ihsaan - don't be concerned  about the "results", e.g. number of followers. Be concerned about playing your part well, and if Allah accepts, He will grant you the barakah and mileage. 
5. Setting the right environment to nurture ourselves towards this legacy - your friends, your habits, physical environment 
6. Help each other towards righteousness and piety - play your part and contribute in anyway you can, big or small. Allah blessed us with different talents, skills and qualities : find where you fit in and never consider ant contribution as insignificant. Our achievements will be rewarded as a Jamaah without any rewards being decreased! 
7. Always and always Make du'aa! ASK from the owner and Turner of the hearts, the one Who can make anything happen 
8. Make a consistent effort towards Continuous Self improvement - today better than yesterday, tomorrow better than today. 

Twins of Faith 2018 : Legacy (8 - 9 December 2018 @ Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur)

Alhamdulillah - all Praises and Thanks to Allah - I've learnt a lot and have benefitted a lot throughout the conference in more ways than one.

The theme of "Legacy" is something that really resonates strongly with me personally, and it's always been a personal motto of mine to live consciously asking myself "What do you want to be remembered for when you die?" The topics selected were apt reminders for myself and the ummah in general and really struck some strong emotional cords in me (Sheikh Isam - you started it!).

These 2 days really renewed my perspective, inspiration and refuelled my resolve for putting my foot down towards pursuing that great legacy and playing my part towards developing and restoring the greatness of this ummah. 

Twins of Faith was the very first Islamic conference I've had the privilege of attending and participating in - in its very first one back in 2011 - and Alhamdulillah it's great to be back once again to volunteer on a wholly new capacity this time around.

Jazakumullahu khayran to the team at Mercy Mission for entrusting me with the opportunity to contribute to the event as the MC. My sincere apologies for any and all shortcomings throughout the event.

To all my brothers and sisters who did attend the event, please do share to me if you have any personal feedback on your thoughts about your MC and share if there is any way I can improve further.

May Allah grant His barakah and continuous success to TOF 2018 and the entire team - both at the forefront and the ones behind the scenes - and may Allah make all these efforts stepping stones and means of crafting great legacies for our ummah as a whole.

#tof2018 #legacy

An Evening With Sheikh Assim Al-Hakeem : 4th November 2018

An Evening With Sheikh Assim Al-Hakeem : "The Worth of A Mustard Seed" Fundraising dinner organized by Rizq Ar-Rahman, Shah Alam Convention Centre 4th November 2018.

Alhamdulillah Rizq Ar-Rahman managed to collect upwards of RM250k in support of funding their "yatim" charity programs, especially for the Aisyah Home in Penang. A beautiful dinner gathering attended also by Dr Zakir Naik, Sheikh Hussain Yee, Ustaz Kamilin and Dr Rozaimi, along with the heads of Yayasan Ta'lim and Dakwah Corner.

In his talk Sheikh Assim reminded us on the encouragement for sadaqah as an investment for our akhirah and its superiority in comparison to other good deeds. It was an important reminder to us that whatever wealth we keep, will be inherited by our heirs anyway. But whatever wealth we spend in the cause of Allah, will multiply, pile up and ultimately be our means of success on the Day of Judgment. 

Many thanks and Jazakumullahu khayran to the organizing committee at Rizq Ar Rahman Charitable Labuan Foundation team for allowing me the opportunity to be part of and contribute in this event. It was an inspiring experience for me personally having the opportunity to meet and get acquainted with the awesome team of organisers working behind the scenes, knowing the impactful work they have done and are continuing to do for the betterment of the ummah as a whole: locally and internationally, and I hope more will contribute towards their great work. Here is hoping that I have more opportunities to contribute and work together with the team, and that Allah accepts and blesses all their good deeds, and grants them steadfastness in all their amal.

BarakAllahu fikum

"Assalamualaikum" - An Inspiring Moment at a Toll Booth

Port Dickson 3-4 November 2018

This weekend's inspiring moment for us arrived - of all places - from a brief 5-second encounter at a toll booth.

As we were driving up the Springhill toll nearby PD, there was only one Toll Booth Lane was open, and that Lane sharing between both Cash payments and Touch 'N Go. As my father tapped drove to the booth, he tapped his Touch and Go card on the receiver, the senior lady at the booth, looked out, smiled and said, "Assalamualaikum".

Masha Allah. That was amazing!

Now, let's dissect this 5-second encounter for a minute.
This Aunty didn't even attend to us (we were using the Touch N Go), yet she still invested the extra effort to greet us warmly. It's a genuinely refreshing counter of passion at work, in today's world where people deliver mediocre effort and work as if it's the final 10 minutes of their shift - just exerting our efforts the "barely pass" and content with poor quality, because "It's not like I get paid more anyway".

Now, working at a toll booth - alone in your shift - has virtually no interaction with others. And in this case, it was the only booth open!
Forget about complaining "the environment is not conducive" or "I am surrounded by pessimistic co-workers", you - and YOU ALONE - are the environment. The work is repetitive and mundane by nature: perhaps you'll be interacting with hundreds of other strangers throughout your shift, and by the end of your shift, meeting your 94th customer might have drained the energizer in us. 
So how is your work ethic? Do you process their toll payments robotically, mechanically prodding to the hours of your shift? Or do you use this window of 10-20 seconds of interacting with complete strangers, as an opportunity to have a positive impact on them?

With all this in mind, it is very apparent to us that this was a deliberate CONSCIOUS decision for her to smile and greet us with salam.
Though some may deem this as trivial or small, to me, gestures like these demonstrate a certain level of passion and commitment: to invest greatness - ihsan - in our actions, despite the nature of our deeds on what some may deem as mundane and repetitive. To invest quality towards perfection and take pride in the work that we do.

How many of us waste away opportunities of brilliance to inspire others as we get through "the grind" - in our work, daily routines, chores at the home?

Seize every moment as opportunities of greatness - not because you expect gratitude, praise, or recompense from others: but because it's your personal brand and commitment to quality, and that defines YOU. 

As a child, Steve Jobs was instructed by his dad to paint the fence of the house. He completed the outer parts of the fence, and declared "job's done". And his father told him "but son, you didn't paint the inner part of the fence." Steve replied justifying, "but Dad, no one will see the inner part of the fence!". And his father replied,
"But we will".

In his years in Apple, as he was building the revolutionary computer at the time, the Macintosh, he told his design team to make the Macintosh BEAUTIFUL. But here's the thing: He told the team, to "Design the internals circuitry to be just as beautiful as it is on the outside". 
Naturally, the team responded, "But no one's going to see what's inside!"

Like a boss, our boy Steve said, "But we will."

May Allah make us amongst those who deliver our tasks sincerely with passion and ihsan (excellence).




The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

“لاَ تَحْقِرَنَّ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ شَيْئًا وَلَوْ أَنْ تَلْقَى أَخَاكَ بِوَجْهٍ طَلْقٍ”
“Do not belittle or consider insignificant any good deeds that you do, even if it is to meet your brother with a cheerful face” (Narrated by Muslim)

إنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ الْإِحْسَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ
"Verily, Allah has prescribed (that you perform with) Ihsaan (excellence) in all things" (Narrated by Muslim)

"Progress, not perfection" - The winning mindset behind continuous improvement

In the recent courses we attended - Coaching for Action - one of the things taught behind coaching is that the main philosophy behind any self-improvement initiative, is to focus on: "progress, not perfection."

The key towards is to do it step by step. But continuously.

To illustrate this example, one of the class exercises is that of the "Progress Scale". First, you identify, what task do you want to be better at? 

Then, follow these steps:

1. "From a scale of 1 to 10, what do you rate yourself now?" (So let's say, we identify that task, and we rate ourselves a 3)

2. "What have you achieved or done so far that makes you believe you got 3? Not 2?"

3. "What can we do to get you to get to 4?" 

Interesting! The focus here is "How we can get you to 4" - not to achieve 10/10 right of the bat. 

Whenever we set our targets or goals, it's important not to just view the "grand prize" - i.e. perfetion. Sometimes high ambitious goals will set us back triggering self-doubt into thinking it as an an imppossible undertaking and slowly demotivate us from even taking that first step.

Rather, what can be more pragmatic is to break it down to tangible, practicle targets that we can tackle one by one, step by step. And celebrate those 'small winds' or 'minor victories' when we have achieved something, no matter how small: keep us motivated to keep progressing - if you scored a "3" as a opposed to "1" or "2", there must be SOMETHING you've done right - we just need to repeat, enhance,  improve, improvise, etc, to move it up a notch. Then, we move forward to the next small victory. As time goes by, those small steps become increasingly easier, and we can start gradually taking bigger steps. And as we keep making these small steps - before long, and perhaps without us even realizing it, we have taken giant leaps forward from where we started off. 

Take any simple goal - like say, losing weight. Say your 'end goal' is to lose 20kg; work on losing 1kg first. Done? Great. What worked? What didn't? What next? Excellent, keep going. 

Want to start reading? Set a simple, achievable-but-easy-to-sustain-target : say, read 10 pages a day. Done? Easy? Okay, now let's do 12. And so on. 

If your goal is memorising Qur'an - which may sound downright intimidating to some - focus on memorising one short Surah first. Surah al-Fil. Done? Surah an-naba. Done? juz 30. Done? Any Surah you can recite in your short voluntary prayers. Keep moving. 

I remember in one superhero movie, before the beginning of a heroes-vs-villains showdown, this new, unconfident young hero started hesitating and doubting himself, that he has never entered battle and didn't know what to do. 

The senior hero, his mentor figure, simply advised : "Save one. Save one person."

After still some hesitation and self-doubt, he continued:

"Dont talk, don't fight. Get in, get one out."

To which he asked, "Then what?"

And then he responded "then you'll know". 

As the battle unfolded, and finally mustering the courage, he effortlessly saved one person. Then he realized, that wasn't so bad. Let's do one more. So he did. And more. Eventually he gained courage to join the fight and assist the others, and earned his place in the team. 

Step by step. 

The key? "Save one person." Not "be a hero". Not "save the day". No long motivational pep talk required. Simple advice: practical action, go. 

Progress, not perfection.

It's also important to note that, this law of "progress not perfection" doesn't just apply for non-performers or those who are 'failing'. In fact, it applies for those who are on relative 'success' as well. 

Just because you have achieved your relative "success" with respect to your task and respective goal, there are still gaps in other areas in which you can improve on - so the idea is to keep pushing on the scale of "progress" and not get complacent. 

Eventually, if we keep this up with a degree of consistency the pursuit of success and perfection (with respect to your goal) becomes a habit - and then this is continuous improvement. 

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 

وَإِنَّ أَحَبَّ الأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَا دُووِمَ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ قَلَّ

"the most beloved deeds to Allah are those which are done continuously, even if they are small" 

(Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) 

I find this a simple and powerful mindset and methodology, not just in the area of coaching others, but also in my own personal areas of self-improvement. 

As coaches, or simply as a friend/parent/spouse/teacher who wishes to assist others attain their goals, our primary role to get them on this train of progress - and keep reminding, encouraging, and motivating them to do it again. And again. And when they steer off the rails or start veering off, help them get back on track. Although it helps, you don't necessarily have to be an expert in that field. 

All it takes is to Believe in them, and get them to believe in themselves. 

Majlis Tilawah Al-Qur'an (MTAQ) PETRONAS : 28-30 September 2018@ Miri, Sarawak.

Alhamdulillah, this year I obtained 2nd place (Naib Johan) for Hafazan (memorization) category for this year's Majlis Tilawah Al-Qur'an (MTAQ), PETRONAS.


I would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to continuously up their efforts in memorization and the continuous up-skilling of the Qur'an - the most important book in our lives.

Especially to my colleagues working in PETRONAS - participate!
The organization invests a tremendous amount of money and resources to organizing this event: from the cost of logistics, even down to the massive prizes.
Even throughout the tough "bad economy" years during the low-oil-price-crisis when budgets were slashes left right and center,  MTAQ still continued and never stopped unlike other events such as Sports, team building, etc.
The prizes alone are actually kind of awesome. Just to put into perspective, this is only my 6th year of participation since I first joined in 2013, and to date, I have won an iPad, two mobile phones, a few watches, an air fryer (!), and cash prizes too ما شاء الله.. اللهم بارك .
All of this investment and dedication signifies the Organization's serious intention and OWNERSHIP of continuously encouraging the knowledge of the Qur'an amongst its employers and family members.
Let us embrace this investment and strive to realize our organization's vision to produce the best of mankind, as was mentioned by the Prophet (ﷺ):
خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ

“The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

Do not be discouraged or intimidated by your current skill level, how much you have memorized, nor feel at a disadvantage for not memorising when you were in school. Whatever your skill level is, just start/continue learning, and don't stop.
Me personally, I only really started my memorization when I started work - well into my adult years. At that point of time, my tajwid was poor and I was struggling to memorize Surah an-Nas to Surah Ad-Duha, the 'basic' portion of the 30th juz (Surah lazim).. Tu pun tak lepas.
But Alhamdulillah as Allah opened my heart in learning Qur'an, I began memorizing bit by bit.. (though initially with no intent of participation in MTAQ: I thought that was nigh impossible for a person of my 'level'). Five years later, when the invitation e-mail was issued for MTAQ 2013 - those bit-by-bit efforts bore fruit Alhamdulillah, and I was at a point where I almost memorized most of the syllabus, and after much internal debate and consideration, I decided to give it a go and registered as an attempt to "push" myself to memorize more and revise more.
And thus began my journey, and I'm glad I took that step.


 

HAFAZAN
The format of Hafazan category is – 5 questions at random; 1st question Al-Fatihah, other four questions can be random from any of the specified surah – Al-Kahf, Luqman, As-Sajdah, Al-Mulk Al-Mudathir, Al-Qiyamah, Al-Insan, and Juz 30 (all in all, ~2.5 juz’). Each question requires recitation of about half a page (1.5 minutes each).
Technically, the actual competition takes about 10 minutes only for each person.
So – all that trouble and resources, and over 2+ juz of Qur'an, simply boiled down to just 10 minutes?
Well, it’s not “just” about the 10 minutes –  in the same way that an 100-metre Olympic sprinter isn’t just about “10 seconds on the track”: It’s about the effort invested behind the scenes. In the case of Hifz, it is the continuous effort to sharpen the perfection of your memorization: to practice, improve tajwid, continuously repeat, braving the nervous stage fright, etc.
The athlete sharpens his craft day-by-day to strive towards perfection, and when the moment comes – he makes it count.
Winning is a mindset, not the result.

 

 JOHAN kategori Hafazan Dewasa Lelaki - Ahmad Fauzi Omar-Ramli (Pantai Timur)
Constable Ahmad Fauzi - my fellow Hafazan competitor who works as security in Kuantan, participating in MTAQ for the first time since 2010 - and Masha Allah - scored a near-perfect 96.5 to earn his top for first place as champion, and winning an Umrah package as prize.. masha Allah Allahumma barik.
According to some insider info, my score difference with first place was only 1.5 - and apparently that difference was only due to marks in "Gaya dan Suara" (Style and voice) - whereas for the other categories - Hafazan (memorization), Tajwid, and Fasohah, both of us scored virtually identical.
Although I "lost" to him, but Alhamdulillah I'm still very happy and satisfied with my own overall performance, that I at least I did relatively well for my hifz and tajwid - which was technically the whole intention of participating in the first place. What this also means is that given the circumstances, it was the best I could have hoped to perform and I was defeated purely due to a subjective category - voice and style.
It is interesting to note that this judging category (voice/stlye) is completely subjective - and thus technically also means that there is no guarantee of 'winning' even if one performs at 100% accuracy. There were participants who have won previous MTAQ, but this time did not get #1. Considering the other underlying psychological factors that may make one nervous and influence one's capability, the element of uncertainty is always present.
Nevertheless, "winning" isn't the ultimate objective - the objective is the continuous improvement in the Qur'an.
What truly counts is the journey it takes to get there - the hours of memorization, practice, revisions, knowledge - from striving to be the best of mankind who "learns and teaches the Qur'an", the rewards of every single letter recited from it, and the continuous investment to build passion towards the book of Allah. That effort - the journey alone, is success in an of itself, Alhamdulillah.
Having said that though, to put things into perspective, if - in spite of all that nervous stage fright - one can still consistently recite at 100% accuracy, still maintain an excellent voice and impress the judges, then yeah  : you definitely deserve the Umrah package #Respect

 

 Geng Hafazan (L-R) : Fauzi (Zon Pantai Timur), Faiz (KL), Faisal (Sarawak), Haizam (Sabah/Labuan), Nabil (Pantai Barat)
Mock cheque only. Value cannot be divided

 

Last minute hifz murajaah (revision) with Muawiyah
There is a slight change in syllabus for this year's MTAQ. They added 3 new surah - surah Luqman, Al-Mudathir, and Al-Qiyamah - and they removed 3 Surah - surah yaseen, al-Waqiah, al-Jumu'ah. The rest of the syllabus remains the same - surah Al-Kahf, Al-Mulk, As-Sajdah, Al-insan, and the whole Juz' Amma #30.
Although most of the syllabus remains largely the same (about 80% is identical for the past few years), it doesn't mean that once one has memorised, one has "got it".
The effort of memorizing is a continuous journey - and requires a lot of repetition. Since accuracy is key, its in the details that present a challenge - the vowels, potential mixup with other verses in other verses/surah, etc.
The idea is to repeat enough times for it to gradually get embedded in our subconscious - and flows effortlessly from our heads.
Just like the "songs" we used to memorize when we were growing up. How come, despite years of not listening to them, we can still recall the lyrics so well? Because we repeated them so much that it's "stored" in our long term memory.
The idea and core value to drive this is to develop a passion towards the Qur'an. A passion that comes from within that makes us genuinely want to continuously recite and repeat it without feeling that it is a "chore" or a "burden". The
Think about the "songs" we used to repeat so much, that we just "can't get out of our heads" : is because this is a natural consequence that we "love" these songs.. Not a burden!
The biggest step to developing passion towards the Qur'an is to learn it and be familiar with it, understand it. You cannot love or feel ownership for something that is foreign or alien to you.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
تَعَاهَدُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنَ الإِبِلِ فِي عُقُلِهَا ‏
 "Keep on revising the Qur'an! For (I swear) by Him in Whose Hand my life is, the Qur'an runs away (is forgotten) faster than camels that are released from their tying ropes." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)


 
KONTINJEN ZON SARAWAK
Syabas semua atas usaha anda dalam MTAQ Petronas 2018! BarakAllahu fikum.
Bagi yang tidak mendapat johan untuk kategori anda, keep up the effort and good work.. usahlah rasa kecil hati atau putus asa. Kemenangan sebebar itu terletak dalam ganjaran dan keredhaan Allah atas usaha anda mempelajari kitab-Nya
Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda
خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ
“(Manusia) Yang terbaik di antara kamu adalah mereka yang BELAJAR al-Qur’an dan MENGAJARKANNYA (kepada orang lain)” (HR Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا لاَ أَقُولُ الم حَرْفٌ وَلَكِنْ أَلِفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلاَمٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ
“Barangsiapa yang membaca satu huruf daripada Kitab Allah, maka baginya ganjaran pahala – dan setiap pahala kebaikan itu digandakan sebanyak sepuluh kali ganda.
Aku tidak katakan “Alif Lam Mim” itu satu huruf, bahkan “alif” itu satu huruf, “lam” satu huruf, dan “Mim” satu huruf” (HR At-Tirmidzi)
Semoga ianya menjadi iktibar kepada kita semua untuk kuatkan azam serta semangat dalam istiqamah atas al-Qur’an. Sentiasa perbanyakkanlah usaha antum dalam belajar dan ulangkaji -
تَعَاهَدُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنَ الإِبِلِ فِي عُقُلِهَا
“Sentiasa ulangkajilah Al-QUr’an – kerana Aku Bersumpah Demi (Allah) Dzat yang Jiwaku di tangan-Nya; ianya lebih cepat berlari (yakni dilupakan / hilang) daripada unta yang (lari selepas) dilepaskan daripada ikatannya” (HR Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
Juga ucapan terima kasih kepada AJK kontingen yang banyak membantu kami sepanjang acara. Semoga Allah balas jasa dan kebaikan dalam memudahkan kami sepanjang Majlis.
Semoga berjumpa lagi di tahun-tahun akan datang.

"What Do You Want To Be Remembered For After You Die?"

"What Do You Want To Be Remembered For After You Die?"

In his khutbah, Riad Ouarzazi mentioned that this was the question posed by his psychology lecturer at the end of his Masters Course -and subsequently the question he posed back to us... Human beings come and go, they live and they die, and so will you. But the question is: What legacy do you want to leave behind after you go?

Since then, this very important question that constantly lingers in my head - and provides the motivational boost to fuel and inspire the things that I do.

Recently, Dr. Sheikh Said bin Ali Wahf Al-Qahtani passed away (rahimahUllah); and his passing struck a chord on the powerful relevance of this question. 

Sheikh Said Al-Qahtani - a student of Sheikh bin Baz - was the author of Hisnul Muslim, a book compiling the supplications and azkar (words of remembrance) from the authentic narrations from the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, in specific situations in our daily lives - what to recite when waking up, when riding our vehicle, entering the home, during eating, morning/evening dzikir, for the host, when visiting the sick, when someone shows kindness and does something for you, etc - pretty much every situation.

The title Hisnul Muslim literally translates to "Fortress of the Muslim", symbolizing the function and purpose of supplication - especially if implemented on a continuous and daily basis - as the stronghold of a Muslim's protection from evil/harm in this life and the Hereafter, and the foundations to provide the spiritual strength and motivation throughout one's life.

What is amazing is, how widespread this book has been distributed over the world and used by the Muslim nation. Hisnul Muslim translated over 20 languages, has been republished by numerous different publishers across the globe, even made into mobile phone applications by various developers across Android/iOS platforms. Because of its simple and compact nature and is sold for RM5 or less, it's the favorite "go-to" option to give out as free gifts to others.

A quick search of "Hisnul Muslim" at the Android Play Store revealed that this book - through various different apps and app publishers - has over TWELVE MILLION downloads (and that doesn’t include the iOS App store). And Allah Knows Best the number of hard copies sold, distributed and read from as we speak!

In other words, if there ever was an Islamic book in our times which can be described as "viral" - Hisnul Muslim would be that book. 

Imagine just how much reward Sheikh Said Al-Qahtani is getting for this one book! 

Through this book is how I personally came to learn - for the first time - many of these supplications, and slowly make it a habit to memorize and implement on a continuous basis, and many friends and family members I personally know. Every single time we recite these du'aa  - the Sheikh gets a reward for it: even after his death. And some of these du'aa/dzikir are repeated so frequently it becomes seared into our subconscious and we do it effortlessly. And so as we read every single dzikr/supplication we benefitted from these writings, our good deeds are "effortlessly" deposited into the Sheikh's account of good deeds rahimahUllah - even after he has passed away.

It is inspiring to note regarding the simple nature of the book itself. It is not a super-complicated research thesis or complex academic discourse: it's simply a compilation of du'aa from the books of hadith.

The striking point here is that there are already other books of this nature written by other scholars in the past, which also document the supplications and words of remembrance from the sunnah.

But somehow, Hisnul Muslim is the one that sticks and "goes viral" in our generation : both digitally and in print. ِAnd this - insha Allah - is a sign of Qabool (acceptance) and ikhlas, true sincerity.

If we do our tasks sincerely and do it well, sometimes the simplest things have the greatest impact on others.

The same holds true for anything in life - helping others, giving charity, positive words of encouragement,  giving advice: sometimes 2 minutes of advice can be more impactful than 2-hour lecture, if we put our hearts to it.

Back in my secondary school days, my tuition teacher once said, that if you want to be successful in life, think of something which you can invent, that is cheap and something that "everyone" - i.e. the masses of people - needs. Then you've strike jackpot and will be "set for life".

And in this context, it would seem here by this one achievement Sheikh Said here struck jackpot for his Akhirah. It is worth noting here that this isn't the only book authored by the Sheikh - he in fact wrote many more. And thus his contributions towards the ummah is more than meets the eye which only Allah Knows!

And for that, I have some serious ghibtah - yakni positive healthy jealousy - towards the Sheikh, to inspire us to continuously rethink what we can do to generate our constant 'investment' for our hereafter.

What can I contribute that will continue to benefit the society - and the ummah at large - after I depart from this world?

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُعَنْهُ
May Allah Forgive him, have Mercy on him, and pardon him.

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said : 

إِذَا مَاتَ الإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ إِلاَّ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ
"When a man dies, all of his deeds come to an end, except for three: 

• recurring charity, or 
• knowledge (by which people) benefit, 
• or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased)."

(Narrated by Muslim) 

مَنْ سَنَّ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَعُمِلَ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ كُتِبَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا وَلاَ يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَىْءٌ  
"Whomsoever introduces a good practice in Islam which was followed after him (by others), he would be assured the reward like one who followed it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect."
(Narrated by Muslim)

لاَ حَسَدَ إِلاَّ فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ رَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً فَسَلَّطَهُ عَلَى هَلَكَتِهِ فِي الْحَقِّ، وَرَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ حِكْمَةً فَهْوَ يَقْضِي بِهَا وَيُعَلِّمُهَا
"There is (to be) no envy, except in two: 
a person whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in the Right Path, 
and a person whom Allah has given wisdom (i.e. religious knowledge) and he gives his decisions accordingly and teaches it to the others." 
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari) 

Qiraat Hafs an 'Asim : Pengenalan ringkas kepada sanad / imam tajwid kita

Biasanya bagi mereka yang mepelajari dan mendalami ilmu tajwid al-Qur'an akan mendengar bahawa di dalam pembacaan (tilawah) al-Qur'an, kita ada tujuh atau lapan qiraat yang berbeza - dan kita di Nusantara lazimnya membaca qiraat yang dikenali sebagai "Hafs an Asim" (yakni, Imam Hafs, yang meriwayatkan daripada imam Asim)

Apakah maksudnya dan implikasinya?

Siapakah kedua-dua invidiu ini dan apakah kepentingan mereka?

Allah berfirman di dalam surah al-Hijr ayat ke-9:

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ

"Sesungguhnya, Kami telah menurunkan kepada engkau (wahai Muhammad), adz-Dzikr (al-Qur'an), dan Kami-lah yang Pasti akan memeliharanya"

Janji Allah di dalam pemeliharaan Al-Qur'an bukan sahaja dalam memelihara huruf dan perkataan Al-Qur'an itu semata-mata di dalam penulisan kitab, tetapi juga dalam

• Hafalannya, melalui generasi golongan Islam tidak putus-putus sehingga hari ini, dan sehinggalah Hari Kiamat
• Pemahamannya, yakni penjagaan Bahasa Arab serta tafsir penjelasannya melalui Rasul-Nya
• Cara dan tata tertib pembacaannya, seperti yang telah diwahyukan kepada Jibril Alayhissalam.

Perlu diketahui bahawa pembacaan Al-Qur'an itu adalah sesuatu yang khusus dan unik kepada al-Qur'an, sepertimana yang telah dibaca oleh Jibril (alayhissalam) dan diajar secara terperinci oleh Rasulullah, dan bukanlah sesuatu yang menjadi kebiasaan orang Arab, meskipun dalam sya'ir-sya'ir mereka.

Dan di dalam cara bacaan yang diajar oleh malaikat Jibril ini, adanya perincian-perician bacaan - daripada bacaan yang dipanjang/pendekkan, di-dengungkan, di-gabungkan, dan sebagainya.

Disebabkan cara-cara pembacaan yang sangat detail ini, Rasulullah telah mengenalpasti beberapa sahabat terpilih yang dianggap sebagai 'pakar' dalam bidang al-Qur'an, oleh itu menyarankan kepada umatnya untuk pelajari bacaan daripada individu-individu ini. Baginda

ﷺ bersabda: 

اسْتَقْرِئُوا الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ أَرْبَعَةٍ مِنَ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَسَالِمٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ، وَأُبَىٍّ، وَمُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ

"Pelajarilah bacaan AL-Qur'an daripada empat :

1. Abdullah bin Mas'ud

2. Salim, maula Abu Hudzaifah

3. Ubay (bin Kaab); dan

4. Mu'adz bin Jabal"

(HR Al-Bukhari dan Muslim). 

Nota: Ini bukanlah bermaksud tiada sahabat-sahabat lain yang pakar di dalam Al-Qur'an; ternyata ramai lagi di kalangan sahabat yang mahir di dalam ilmu Al-Qur'an - cuma di sini secara khusus, Nabi memberi tazkiyah (testimoni) tentang kepakaran empat individu dan menggalakkan umatnya belajar Al-Qur'an daripada mereka. 

 

Siapa pula Imam 'Asim dan Imam Hafs?

'Asim bin Abi An-Najud adalah seorang 'ulama pakar dalam bacaan Al-Qur'an yang berasal dari Kufah, Iraq yang telah meninggal dunia pada tahun 127 atau 128 selepas Hijrah. Bacaan dia telah dipelajari dengan sanad terus daripada Abu Abdur-Rahman as-Sulami (meninggal 74 Hijrah) dan Zirr bin Hubaysh

• Abu Abdur-Rahman as-Sulami telah mempelajari Al-Qur'an dengan sahabat-sahabat Rasulullah yang berikut : Uthman bin 'Affan, Ali bin Abi Talib, Ubayy bin Ka'ab dan Zaid bin Thabit (radhiAllahu anhum)

• Zirr bin Hubaysh telah mempelajari al-Qur'an daripada Abdullah bin Mas'ud (radhiAllahu anhu)

Ada dua pembacaan yang masyhur daripada Imam 'Asim : Hafs bin Sulaiman (meninggal 190 Hijrah) dan Syu'bah.

Jadi sekiranya kita mempelajari hukum-hukum tajwid mengikut "Hafs an Asim" maka sebenarnya kita mempelajari hukum bacaan Al-Qur'an melalui sanad ini yang telah diajar melalui lima sahabat Rasulullah di atas, di mana :

• dua di antara mereka diberikan galakan khusus untuk kita pelajari tajwid daripada mereka (Ubay bin Kaab dan Abdullah ibnu Mas'ud), 
• dua di antara mereka (Ali dan Uthman) adalah khulafa ar-Rasyidin para muhajirun antara terawal yang memeluk islam, antara ahli keluarga Nabi melalui perkahwinan (sebagai menantu dan juga bapa mertuanya) dan mendapat keutamaan belajar terus-menerus dengan Rasulullah semenjak peringkat awal turunnya wahyu al-Qur'an, serta 
• pakar Al-Qur'an yang diberikan tanggungjawab khusus oleh Khalifah Abu Bakar untuk ditulis selruh mushaf Al-Qur'an: iaitu Zaid bin Thabit.

Asal Usul Hukum Tajwid

Para 'ulama di dalam sanad ini telah membukukan mengikut kategori secara terperinci tentang hukum-hukum tajwid untuk memudahkan kita pelajarinya; begitu yang dibaca oleh Jibril melalui sanad ini, dan begitulah yang dibaca sehingga hari ni dan sehingga Hari Kiamat.

Manakala nama-nama hukum tajwid (e.g. ikhfa haqiqi, mad lazim, idgham maal ghunnah), ini hanyalah penamaan dan istilah yang telah diberi oleh ulama Qur'an untuk memudahkan kita fahami metode pembacaan.

Satu nikmat Allah kepada umat ini dikurniakan dengan imam dengan kepakaran dan kemahiran tersebut, dan dipelihara untuk kita pelajari sehingga hari ini, walhamdulillah - serta satu keajaiban mu'jizat daripada Allah yang mana kita lihat sendiri peliharaan kitab ini semenjak lebih 1400+ tahun lepas - Allahu Akbar. 

Semoga Allah jadikan kita semua  tergolong di kalangan sebaik-baik manusia yang sentiasa mempelajari  serta mengajar Al-Qur'an kepada yang lain, dan semoa kita semua tergolong di kalangan mereka yang menguasai Kitab-Nya - baik dari segi tata-tertib pembacaannya, hafalannya, maksudnya dan tafsirnya - serta mengamalkan dalam setiap aspek kehidupan kita. Ameen.

Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda: 

خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ

“Sebaik-baik kalian adalah orang yang belajar Al-Qur`an dan mengajarkannya.” (HR Al-Bukhari dan Muslim)

الْمَاهِرُ بِالْقُرْآنِ مَعَ السَّفَرَةِ الْكِرَامِ الْبَرَرَةِ وَالَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ وَيَتَتَعْتَعُ فِيهِ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ شَاقٌّ لَهُ أَجْرَانِ

"Mereka yang mahir membaca Al-Quran akan bersama malaikat yang mulia lagi taat (Al-Safarah Al-Kiram Al-Bararah). Adapun orang yang membaca Al-Quran dalam keadaan gagap, tersangkut & merasa sukar ketika membacanya, baginya dua pahala". 

(HR Muslim)