Faham dan sebatikan dalam diri

Kebanyakan masa, kita tidak perlu banyak berkata.
Cukup dengan qudwah.
Masyarakat sekeliling akan dapat melihat.

Kerana di dalam qudwah terdapat manifestasi fikrah.
Dalam diam, masyarakat akan faham.
Seperti iman.
Ianya terserlah di dalam amal, bukannya perkataan semata-mata.
Kita tidak mementingkan propaganda.

Namun, kadang-kadang, qudwah itulah yang sukar ditonjolkan.
Tidak mengapa.
Tarbiyah itu berterusan.
Kita hanya perlu beristiqamah. Sikit-sikit, tetapi kerap.
Bukankah Rasulullah bersabda, "Qul amantu billah, thummastaqim"?
Katakanlah, aku beriman kepada Allah. Lalu beristiqamahlah.

Rawak. Pemerhatian akhir-akhir ini.

Bertahun-tahun ditarbiyyah, sejauh mana kita mengerti erti ukhuwah.
Seorang ikhwah senior pernah menegur kami yang masih berada di Melbourne, ukhuwah kami tidak basah. Saya pening, apa yang tidak basahnya?

Nak dikatakan bergaduh, tidak. Selalu sahaja bergembira bersama. Bermain bersama. Bekerja bersama. Hadir qiam bersama. Daurah, tamrin, etc.. Sering meluahkan perasaan sesama sendiri. Entah di mana yang dikatakan tidak basah.

Kata-kata ikhwah tersebut sentiasa bermain-main di fikiran.

Sehingga apabila diuji sedikit, makna ukhuwah itu mula nampak.

Ukhuwah itu hanyalah atas dasar perjuangan. Kerana perjuangan, segala konflik diabaikan. Ianya perkara yang remeh. Di depan kita, ada masalah yang lebih besar untuk diselesaikan. Apabila ini difahami, segala takrif ukhuwah yang kita kenali sebelum ini akan datang sebagai bonus.

Dan sungguh, ukhuwah atas dasar perjuangan ini jauh lebih manis. Ianya manis dalam setiap perilaku. Setiap pertemuan dan perbincangan tidak akan lari dari topik yang sama. Perjuangan. Dakwah dan tarbiyyah. Cuma, mungkin sekarang, ianya tidak dapat dikecapi bersama semua ikhwah, kerana setiap ikhwah ada tahap penerimaan yang berlainan. Perkembangan yang tidak sama laju. Mungkin suatu hari nanti.

Nuruddin Zangi vs Salahuddin (?)

Ilustrasi Salahuddin al Ayyubi

Hubungan antara Sultan Nuruddin al Zangi dan Salahuddin al Ayyubi sangat akrab. Bahkan, hubungan mereka itu bukan sekadar hubungan antara 2 individu, tetapi ianya hubungan yang mengikat kedua-dua keluarga; keluarga Zangi dan keluarga Ayyub. Ianya bermula apabila Ayyub memberi bantuan kepada Imaduddin al Zangi semasa Imaduddin dikejar oleh tentera khalifah yang baru sahaja naik takhta pada masa itu.

Hubungan rapat ini terserlah apabila Sultan Nuruddin memberi tauliah kepada Salahuddin al Ayyubi untuk menjadi wakil baginda di seluruh tanah Mesir, berpusat di Kaherah (Cairo), sementara baginda sendiri menjaga wilayah Islam yang merangkumi tanah Palestin, Jordan, Syria, dan sekitarnya (Asia Minor).

Namun, entah bagaimana, hubungan mereka semakin renggang setelah Salahuddin menjadi pemerintah Mesir. Salahuddin sentiasa cuba mengelak daripada berjumpa dengan Sultan Nuruddin, walaupun telah dipanggil berulang kali. Hal ini berlarutan, tanpa ada sesiapa pun yang mengetahui, hatta keluarga mereka sendiri. Hanya melalui catatan sirah dari Ibnu Athir perkara ini diketahui.

Mengapa?

Mengapa hubungan itu menjadi renggang, walaupun tiada apa yang menjadi punca pertelingkahan?

Kuasa? Tidak mungkin kerana kedua-dua individu ini tidak memandang kepada hal keduniaan, lebih-lebih lagi Salahuddin.

Kadang-kadang, perkara pelik sebegini berlaku. Namun pada akhirnya, perjuangan mereka tetap sama, tetap berjalan. 'Pertelingkahan' yang entah dari mana menjadi perkara remeh. Islam tetap gah di seluruh tanah Arab di bawah pemerintahan keluarga Zangi. Setelah Nuruddin mangkat, Islam juga terus menyinar di bawah pemerintahan keluarga Ayyub.

* ulasan dari buku "The Crusades through Arab Eyes" oleh Amin Maalouf.

A building that reminds me of the beauty of Jannah

One of the buildings that I looked at for my final history essay was the Fallingwater (1935-39), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is one of the key modern architectural projects in our time.

Just a little bit description of the house, for those who would like to read more. Just ignore this paragraph if you don't feel like reading + imagining in 3-Dimensional at the same time.

Wright has designed a series of cantilevers that was anchored to the masonry walls made from sandstone. They hover more than 30 feet over the running stream and waterfalls, creating a very utopian image. Despite the height, the sheltering image of Fallingwater that Wright sought was still there, due to the strong horizontality of the planes and also the relatively low ceilings. There is also a lot of terraces area that allows visitors to be engulfed in the wilderness of the surrounding nature. It gives people the chance to appreciate the natural beauty of the site. Having said that, however, the most significant and magical element that makes the Fallingwater one of a kind is probably, as the name of it suggest, the stream that runs through, underneath the house. Just the sound of the running water brings a sense of serenity to the house.

Here is an 3D animation of the house done by Cristóbal Vila.

Fallingwater from Cristóbal Vila on Vimeo.

Beautiful? Yes? No? I think it is. One of favourite projects actually. After looking at this project, I remembered reading about streams that run underneath the gardens of paradise. So, after a quick browse, I stumbled upon a very interesting and enlightening verse in the Quran.

لَـٰكِنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوۡاْ رَبَّہُمۡ لَهُمۡ غُرَفٌ۬ مِّن فَوۡقِهَا غُرَفٌ۬ مَّبۡنِيَّةٌ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِہَا ٱلۡأَنۡہَـٰرُ‌ۖ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ لَا يُخۡلِفُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمِيعَادَ

But it is for those who fear the Lord, that lofty mansions, one above another, have been built; beneath them flow rivers; (such is) the Promise of Allah; never does Allah fail in (His) promise. Surah 39 Az Zumar verse 20

In the Modern English Translation of the Holy Quran: Meanings & Commentary, from the original work of A. Yusuf Ali, he said:

The idea of heaven discussed here is “that of a Home of sublimity and beauty, with a picturesque outlook, such as we would describe in this life by the type of a palace by gently-flowing streams. The mansions will also suggest generous space and architectural beauty, tiers upon tiers piled one upon another.

Subhanallah. I want to be there.

Now of course, Fallingwater would not be able to represent the true beauty of the 'lofty mansions' described in the verse, but obviously, we can get a rough idea of the sublimity one could expect. The spatial quality described in the verse is just amazing. It makes us feel more determined to do be a good Muslim, a good servant, so that we can live in the promised mansions. Don't you think?

ps: One of the things that I like for being studying architecture is the ability to appreciate spaces. Imagine: Lofty mansions. Picturesque. Gently flowing streams underneath. Aaah. Heaven....

Ashamed

Our local mosque in Michael St.

This is a story about a revert.

It was approximately 10 minutes before Zuhr. I decided to go the mosque a little bit early to read some of the books there. As I entered the prayer hall, I gave salam to the brothers there, as usual.

As I was reading a book (syarah on the 40 Hadeeth), I overheard a brother telling to another brother about the beauty of Quran.

"... this is it. We can see it, read it, touch it, feel it, live it. Its beautiful. ..."

And he went on talking in a soft tone, explaining what he felt in a very sincere manner.

But those few words that I overheard struck me the most. He is a new-born Muslim, with very little knowledge on Islam, and yet, he is preaching to another brother with beard, talking about the beauty of practicing Islam. He is giving dakwah to people.

And what have we (Muslims who have been Muslim all our life) been doing? We've been kept busy with petty business. Neverending arguments. Facebooking. Backbiting among ourselves. Laughing out loud because our friend gave some cynical comments. Having empty conversations.

At some point, I felt, our new brother just now is way better than most of us.

A note of reminder to myself, always make muhasabah.

ps: I've heard stories that the sahabah used to smell the scent of paradise, before they throw themselves into the battlefield, performing their jihad. One day, while praying, I sensed something that smells very nice. It turned out to be scent of the minyak attar, used by Brother Abdul Karim, our local imam. Bummer. Just when I thought I can smell paradise.

Urbanism: Charged Void theory

The Economist building 1959-64 by Alison and Peter Smithson

If architecture is to make a genuine contribution to the modern city it must acknowledge, and work in conjuction with, the forces that contribute to its making.

If a route ran along a certain way, it was to give importance to that route by the position of buildings in realtionship to it. Similarly, if there was such an activity as going shopping or going to the market, the organisation of the buildings was such that it gave an importance to that activity which, without the building, it would not otherwise have had. That is, it gives a sort of value to an activity which would be otherwise banal or at the worst would, it it were not given value, mean the well-springs of your existence dried up, because there was no system of relationship, no reason for going on doing that thing.

"The Smithsons and the Economist Building Plaza" in Architecture is Not Made with the Brain: The labour of Alison and Peter Smithson, 2003, Architectural Association, AA Publications, London.