assalamualaikum
in the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful
So how is everyone coping with Ramadhan so far? I hope things are going well for all of us.
This is the 2nd Ramadhan in Kulim. It is my 5th consecutive year celebrating it far away from home. Somehow the word 'celebrating' is not appropriate to the eyes of Malaysians.
The time has changed. When knowledge comes to you, or I suppose when you seek for the knowledge, you become a better person in telling what is the best for this or for that. Ramadhan is like a school, where you are trained to be a better person, if not the best. You celebrate when both when your son have started school and graduated successfully right?
Let us change the ancient way of thinking. Let us ask, why do we this and that. Have you ever asked yourself who started 'IMSAK' when there was no clock or watch existed during the time of Prophet Muhammad. Is this 'Imsak' originated from Quran/Hadith or invented by the Malays?
Start asking why, why and why.
Another example, who started the selawat for the 4 companions of Prophet, namely Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali? Did Rasulullah recite this in between Tarawih? Again, is this practise originated from Quran/Hadith or something invented by the Malays.
Stop saying the Ulamas are doing this and that.
Ask them to give proofs that there is an authentic(sahih) source of this practise.
Anyway, enough of mind provoking questions.
I came across these beautiful verses.
71. Hai orang-orang yang beriman, bersiap siagalah kamu, dan majulah (ke medan pertempuran) berkelompok-kelompok, atau majulah bersama-sama!
72. Dan sesungguhnya di antara kamu ada orang yang sangat berlambat-lambat (ke medan pertempuran)
[315]. Maka jika kamu ditimpa musibah ia berkata: "Sesungguhnya Tuhan telah menganugerahkan nikmat kepada saya karena saya tidak ikut berperang bersama mereka.
73. Dan sungguh jika kamu beroleh karunia (kemenangan) dari Allah, tentulah dia mengatakan seolah-oleh belum pernah ada hubungan kasih sayang antara kamu dengan dia: "Wahai kiranya saya ada bersama-sama mereka, tentu saya mendapat kemenangan yang besar (pula)."
74. Karena itu hendaklah orang-orang yang menukar kehidupan dunia dengan kehidupan akhirat[316] berperang di jalan Allah. Barangsiapa yang berperang di jalan Allah, lalu gugur atau memperoleh kemenangan maka kelak akan Kami berikan kepadanya pahala yang besar. Absolutely beautiful, aren't they?
till next time,
assalamualaikum
p/s Long have I stopped reading Quran without translation. It's not for a mere reading anymore, is it?