RAMADHAN: BULAN RAHMAT, BERAMAL SOLEH DAN BERPUASA

Bulan Ramadhan benar-benar memberikan pulangan yang besar dan ibarat pasar untuk dagangan ke akhirat. Ditamsilkan juga seperti tanah yang subur untuk bercucuk tanam menuju ke sana. Perbuatan yang hidup dan cergas di dalam bulan ini dikiaskan seperti hujan April yang turun pada musim bunga. Bulan ini juga merupakan festival yang amat mulia bagi orang-orang yang mengabdikan diri kepada tuhannya. (The Risale-i Nur Collection, Letters, The Twenty-Ninth Letter).

Seperti yang diungkapkan Bediuzzaman Said Nursi kepada kita melalui kalimat yang indah ini, bulan Ramadhan mempunyai kuasa suci bagi perayaan umat Islam. Umat Islam yang bertakwa dan hidupnya sentiasa mencari keredhaan Allah tidak akan mengabaikan kewajipannya untuk berpuasa sepanjang bulan ini dengan penuh semangat dan keghairahan.

Puasa, seperti yang diwajibkan Allah "Hai orang-orang yang beriman, diwajibkan atas kamu berpuasa sebagaimana diwajibkan atas orang-orang sebelum kamu agar kamu bertakwa" (Surah al-Baqarah: 183) dan "...berpuasa lebih baik bagimu jika kamu mengetahui" (Surah al-Baqarah: 184) merupakan tugas yang tidak ternilai faedahnya bagi umat Islam. Kewajipan yang dilaksanakan oleh semua umat Islam akan meningkatkan semangat perpaduan di kalangan mereka yang bertebaran di serata alam. Kenyataan ini berdasarkan dengan aktiviti yang dilakukan bersama-sama ini sekaligus menguatkan kekuatan spiritual. Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. juga memperincikan kepentingan Ramadhan seperti berikut:

"Hai manusia! Telah datang kepada kamu satu bulan yang mulia, bulan rahmat... dimana bulan ini mewajibkan kamu berpuasa di siang hari dan sukarela bersolat pada malamnya. Barangsiapa yang mendekati Allah dengan melakukan segala amalan sunat di bulan ini akan menerima ganjaran seperti melakukan amalan wajib di lain hari. Ini merupakan bulan kesabaran dan kesabaran itu imbuhannya syurga. Ini juga bulan sedekah dan bulan dimana rezeki orang beriman bertambah..." (Diriwayatkan Ibn Khuzaymah).

Berpuasa menjadi peluang keemasan bagi orang beriman yang benar-benar takutkan Allah dan kesempatan dimanfaatkan untuk mendekatkan diri pada-Nya. Melaksanakan perintahnya dengan bersabar menahan lapar sepanjang hari selepas melewatkan sahur dan sebelum menyegerakan berbuka menjadi bukti menuntut keredhaan Allah. Disebabkan itulah, orang Islam yang istiqomah mencari keredhaan Allah akan meraikan bulan ini dengan penuh kesyukuran dan kegembiraan. Sepanjang bulan ini juga umat Islam akan memastikan setiap langkahnya dipenuhi dengan amalan-amalan yang diturunkan Allah selain menunaikan yang diwajibkan.

Tidak kurang juga mereka yang tidak mengamalkan hidup secara Islami di hari lain akan mengubah perilaku dengan berpuasa sepanjang Ramadhan. Ini kerana mereka percaya Allah akan membersihkan dan menyucikan kesalahan mereka dengan menunaikan kewajipan ini. Dengan itu, secara tidak langsung bulan ini bermakna seseorang itu akan mendekati agamanya dan meninggalkan perbuatan buruk yang dilakukannya.

Bulan ini juga sesungguhnya telah menurunkan kadar jenayah dengan peratusan yang tinggi di seluruh negara Islam. Penipuan, pengkhianatan, fitnah dan umpat mengumpat akan ditinggalkan kerana mereka menyedari akan larangan ketika berpuasa. Semangat dan keazaman mereka untuk berfikir dan melakukan perbuatan baik juga meningkat. Dalam erti kata lain, berpuasa seperti memandu mereka untuk berfikir sesuatu yang tidak pernah terlintas langsung di minda mereka. Bagi sesetengah individu pula, bulan ini digunakan untuk berehat sambil melakukan amal yang soleh dan perbuatan mulia.

Di dalam kalimat yang lain, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi menerangkan bagaimana semua pancaindera orang berpuasa beralih arah dalam pengabdian:

Kejayaan yang bermakna ketika berpuasa ialah dengan menjadikan semua pancaindera dan organ seperti mata, telinga, hati, dan fikiran turut sama berpuasa bersama-sama perut. Dengan ini akan mengelakkannya dari melakukan perkara yang sia-sia dan mendorongnya melakukan amalan pengabdian.

Salah satu hikmah dari berpuasa ialah membolehkan seseorang itu menzahirkan kesyukuran di atas segala rahmat yang Allah limpahkan. Musibatlah bagi mereka yang menggunakan sewenangnya rahmat Allah tetapi tidak tahu untuk berterima kasih pada yang memberi. Bagi mereka semua rahmat ini merupakan hak yang memang patut diterimanya. Allah banyak menyarankan kepada hamba-Nya di dalam Al-Quran supaya sentiasa bersyukur di atas rahmat yang dikurnai-Nya. Allah juga berjanji akan melipatgandakan rahmat bagi mereka yang bersyukur.

Orang yang berpuasa juga akan dilindungi Allah dari segala hasutan syaitan untuk melupakan manusia dari bersyukur. Mereka yang tidak pernah merenung untuk berfikir berapa banyak kurniaan yang telah Allah turunkan akan mula mengucapkan syukur berulang kali di atas segala peluang dan kesihatan yang dikecapinya. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi megatakan bahawa berpuasa di bulan Ramadhan adalah "kunci kepada kebenaran, keikhlasan, kemuncak dan kesejagatan syukur".

Tambahan pula, mereka yang berpuasa akan merasai betapa kerdilnya dirinya di hadapan Allah dan memahami betapa perlunya dirinya kepada Allah. Segala desakan nafsunya menjadi lemah dan kesombongannya bertukar luntur. Memetik dari buku Bediuzzaman Said Nursi:

Bulan Ramadhan akan mengubah jiwa naluri seseorang. Dari sekaya-kaya menjadi semiskin-miskin kerana memahami bahawa harta itu bukan miliknya malah kepunyaan semua orang. Dirasakan juga dirinya tidaklah merdeka tetapi adalah hamba. Diketahui sekiranya tidak diterima sebarang arahan, tidak akan berupaya melakukan sebarang kerja mudah dan senang ibarat tidak dapat menyentuhkan tangan ke dalam air.

Selain pelbagai faedah yang diperolehi dari berpuasa, kesabaran juga antara karakter yang boleh dipupuk dan meyakini kesengsaraan itu mendidik untuk memajukan seseorang. Sebab itulah Bediuzzaman Said Nursi mengatakan: "puasa itu merupakan penawar bagi mereka yang kurang kesabaran dan kurang ketahanan walaupun digabungkan masalah dua orang dalam satu individu". Semua ganjaran yang Allah janjikan akan dikurniakan bagi mereka yang memenuhi kewajipan dengan berpuasa untuk meningkatkan keimanan kepada-Nya. Semua ganjaran ini merupakan balasan di atas ketaatan kepada agama yang dilakukan dengan penuh semangat walaupun orang lain tidak tahu betapa payahnya ketika berhadapan dengan kelaparan ini.Apa yang dijelaskan tidaklah merangkumi semua faedah yang diperolehi dari bulan Ramadhan dan puasa. Ada banyak lagi kebaikan yang tidak kita ketahui atau tidak dihargai tetapi Allah tetap mengurniakannya pada kita di sebalik kewajipan puasa itu.

(Sumber:www.harunyahya.com)

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The Doors of Sadaqah

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Bear in mind that if all the people combined together to grant you some benefit, they would not be able to do it unless Allah has determined it for you. And that if all of them combined together to do you harm, they would not be able to do it unless Allah has determined it for you. The pens have been set aside and writings of the Book of Fate have become dry.” [Tirmidhi]

The important lesson to understand from this hadith is that we must not fear death, loss or reproach in obeying the commands of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala), for only that harm will come to us which is already destined to. A believer should not be frightened by the number or resources of the enemies of Allah. This should never determine whether they should obey Allah or not, as this hadith tells us that they can not do any harm unless Allah has destined it for them. And if that is the case that harm will come anyway, but the believer will be rewarded for obeying the commands of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).

Unfortunately, we find Muslims helping to hurt and kill other Muslims today, using as an excuse that harm would come to them otherwise. We need to develop our understanding of qada wal qadar to become righteous.

The simplest sadaqah that you can give

Abu Dhar al-Ghafari said: “The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wasallam) said: ‘Sadaqah is prescribed for every person every day the sun rises.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, from what do we give sadaqah if we do not possess property?’ He said: ‘The doors of sadaqah are takbir (Allahu Akbar), Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, La-ilaha-ilAllah, Astaghfirullah, enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing thorns, bones and stones from the paths of people, guiding the blind, listening to the deaf and dumb until you understand them, guiding a person to his object of need if you know where it is, hurrying with the strength of your legs to one in sorrow who is appealing for help, and supporting the weak with the strength of your arms. These are all the doors of sadaqah.” [Ahmad]

In other words one does not need to have financial resources to earn the reward of sadaqah. There are many deeds that qualify as sadaqah with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). In addition to those listed above the following ordinary courtesies are also sadaqah if we do them with the intention of pleasing Allah with them.

1. To administer justice between two people is sadaqah.
2. To assist a man upon his mount so that he may ride it is sadaqah.
3. To place his luggage on the animal is sadaqah.
4. A good word is sadaqah.
5. Every step taken toward prayer is sadaqah.
6. Your smile for your brother is sadaqah.
7. Planting anything from which a person, an animal or anything eats is sadaqah.

Even the birds know how to smile

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Love Your Brother For The Sake of ALLAH

Praise be to Allah Who has perfected our religion for us, and has completed His Favour upon us. And blessings and peace be upon His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad, the Prophet of repentance and mercy.

Love your brother for the sake of Allah



In our contemporary society, friends are made at school, at work, in neighborhoods and even over the Internet. Friends are made and kept for a variety of reasons. People make friends with others who share common interests, hobbies, and even vices. The final goal of a friendship is often simply company, a desire to spend time with someone, doing something that they both enjoy. A Muslim ought to choose friends more carefully and critically.

Certainly, Muslims, like everyone else, want friends who share interests and who are fun to be with. We all enjoy having a picnic with a friend or going out to dinner with friends, and who wouldn't like to go to a gathering with some of their best friends? But, that is not only what a truly Islamic friendship is all about. In fact, an Islamic friendship is not that simple at all.


In Islam, true friendships are bound by brotherhood and sisterhood, bonds that are stronger than typical friendships. They are bonds that exist for a much higher reason and with a greater goal.

Muslims make friends knowing that the relationship they will ensue is an important bond between two people who share mutual goals. Their friendship is one that exists primarily for the sake of Allah the Almighty. The love and camaraderie that is born from such a friendship is a secondary benefit, for sure.

True love for the sake of Allah

Love for others comes in different forms. Love between a husband and wife is one type of these forms, all friendship is another form. However, all forms of fondness that any one person can have for any other person, for the purpose of this article, will be referred to as love.

Realistically, pure love of another person only for the sake of Allah is difficult. Few people can attain such a friendship, which is why Allah rewards such an act of faith generously. The Prophet,(SAW) explained, "Allah said: those who love one another for My glory will be upon Minbars of light [high positions], and the Prophets and martyrs will wish that they had the same." [At-Tirmithi]

Nevertheless, many of us, in an attempt to reach this high level of faith, must try to make and build strong friendships that benefit us and our Ummah. In Islam true friendship is brotherhood or sisterhood- a bond that is strong and enduring. In this bond, men and women can find the sweetness of faith as the prophet (SAW) said: "There are three things that whoever attains them will find the sweetness of faith: if Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than anyone or anything else; if he loves a person solely for the sake of Allah; and if he hates to return to disbelief after Allah has rescued him from it, as much as he would hate to be thrown into the Fire." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The rewards of loving another for Allah’s sake are consistent with its importance. Its impact is not singular- it affects the entire society. For entire society to exist in harmony and peace, its constituents must be at peace. If we could each want for our friends what we want for ourselves, the world would be a better place. This is what Islam ensures. If there is brotherhood and unity among the people, the society at large will be united.

The Prophet (SAW) instilled a deep-rooted love in the hearts of the companions to create a model Islamic society that all Muslims thereafter can emulate. Prophet Muhammad (SAW), tried to eliminate hatred, jealousy and rivalry by inducing brotherhood, a sincere love and friendship. The Islamic society is ideally built upon the foundation of brotherhood, as the Prophet advised: "Believers are like a structure, parts of which support one another.

The believers, in their mutual friendship, mercy and affection, are like one body; if any part of it complains, the rest of the body will also stay awake in fever." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

How to love someone

Since love among the believers is a condition of faith in Islam, the peace and harmony that is desired by all can be achieved, as each individual strives to do good and earn reward. So, what can we do? How can we be sure that our friendships are for the sake of Allah? Our lives are full of opportunities to increase and improve our friendships. First, as with any undertaking, we need to make clear, pure and sincere intentions. Pertaining to the existing friendships that we already have, we should make a conscious effort to love our friends for the sake of Allah. When we make friends in the future, we should also make conscious intentions that those new friendships will be for the sake of Allah.

After a pure intention, we need sincere actions. The Prophet,(SAW) , recommended a very simple but significant way to help Muslims gain brotherhood saying: "I swear by the One in Whose hands my soul is, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something that if you do it, you will love one another? Spread salaam [greeting one another saying: As-Salaam Alaykum] amongst yourselves."

[Muslim] Greeting each other frequently and lovingly is the first step to achieving the ideal brotherhood.

It would seem that greeting another with "As-Salaam Alaykum" is an easy action. However, given the nature of men and women and our vulnerability to changing emotions, sometimes these simple words are hard to utter. In other words, there are times when even this simple greeting is hard to say to someone with whom we might have argued. The beauty of Islam is that it is realistic. So, it is allowed for us to take time to "cool off," but we are not allowed to cut off friendships based on rash and unreasonable emotions.

The Prophet, (SAW) said, "It is not permissible for a Muslim to be abandoned from his brother for more than three days, both of them turning away from one another when they meet. The better of them is the one who is first to greet the other." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

These teachings encourage Muslims to improve themselves, thereby improving their society. "Do not break off ties with one another, do not turn away from one another, do not hate one another, and do not envy one another. Be O slaves of Allah brothers." [Al-Bukhari]

The Prophet's memory and words live in our hearts and minds. Heeding his advice, we should realize that we are supposed to be brothers or sisters in Islam because we share a common religion and belief. We are to be brothers and sisters in our hearts because we share a common goal-Allah’s pleasure.


Allahumma infa`ni bima `allamtani wa `allamni ma yanfa`uni! Meaning (OH ALLAH! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me).

Every Jumuah,the Imam warns us saying “ Ina-Allah Yaamur bil Adeel wal ihsan …etc .meaning “Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded". (6:90)



May Allah continue to Guide and Guard us aright. Amin

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