Salam Eid Fitri: Gembira kerna apa di Hari Lebaran?

Hari ini hari raya. Seluruh umat Islam patut bergembira di hari ini. Jika tidak carilah jalan untuk merasainya. Bukan setakat itu sahaja, gembirakanlah juga orang-orang disekeliling kita, sanak saudara, teman-teman, jiran tetangga dan yang paling penting kedua ibu bapa kita. Bagi mereka yang susah, ziarahilah mereka, hulurkanlah sumbangan sedikit sebanyak. Jika tidak pun bayarlah zakat fitrah yang masih boleh dibayar beberapa jam lagi. Allah wajibkan kita membayarnya adalah kerana untuk orang-orang miskin turut merasai kegembiraan di hari lebaran ini.

Namun pernahkah kita bertanya kepada diri kita, kegembiraan ini adalah untuk apa? Adakah untuk Hari Raya semata-mata? Tentulah bukan itu sahaja. Kegembiraan sebenarnya adalah kegembiraan dapat menunaikan segala kewajipan Allah taala terhadap kita di sepanjang bulan Ramadhan lepas dengan jayanya dan juga beserta tawaran-tawaran bonusNya seperti lailatul qadar. Dapatkah kita bergembira kerana itu di hari lebaran ini? Saya juga mungkin tidak dapat pasti akan hal itu. Nauzubillah. Begitu sedikitnya amalan saya.

Kesempatan yang ada ini, saya sekeluarga mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya dan Maaf zahir dan batin terhadap segala-galanya terutamanya segala bentuk penulisan di dalam blog ini yang menimbulkan kegusaran dan ketidakpuashatian kepada mereka yang terlibat secara langsung mahu pun tidak.

Bagaimana nak merapatkan hubungan kaum?

Salam kepada semua. Sudah lama saya tidak menulis kerana banyak perkara yang perlu diselesaikan, yang terpaksa disibukkan mahupun hanya dibuat-buat sibuk. Kerap kali juga cuba mengejar tawaran bonus Allah swt di musim Ramadhan ini, namun kerap kali juga keciciran merebutnya. Ya Allah berilah saya kekuatan. Amin.

Dalam pada memaksa diri untuk menyibukkan diri dengan 'Ramadhan Bonanza', terjeling juga kisah yang tidak sedap didengar, dibaca mahupun dilihat. Dikatakan tahap hubungan kaum di negara kita pada tahap yang sangat rendah. Kenapa ya? Adakah tiada lagi pertimbangan dan toleransi di kalangan kita atau bagaimana? Di musim Ramadhan ini sepatutnya elemen kesabaran telah pun disuntik ke dalam diri masing-masing, adakah seseorang itu perlu suplement tambahan untuk mengawal emosi masing-masing? Wallahu'alam. apa yang pasti kita semua adalah manusia yang cenderung membuat kesilapan dan terdorong dek hawa nafsu yang masih terkesan dan terjajah di jiwa walaupun syaitan-syaitan semua telah dirantai. mungkin sebulan Ramadhan tidak cukup untuk tarbiyah diri, mungkin tak cukup! Tapi adakah kita akan menjadikannya alasan untuk berasa lemah. di masjid2 pada setiap malam, seperti dijangka jemaah semakin berkurangan. Daripada limpahan jemaah di awal ramadhan mengecil menjadi sepertiga atau seperempat sahaja. Mengapa ya? Sebab semuanya kerana nafsu, jawapan yang sudah tahu.

Berbalik kepada isu hubungan kaum yang dikatakan pada tahap terendah tadi, ianya boleh diatasi jika diperhatikan suruhan Allah dibawah:
"Wahai manusia! Sesungguhnya Kami telah menjadikan kamu dari lelaki dan perempuan, dan Kami telah jadikan kamu berbangsa-bangsa dan berpuak-puak supaya kamu berkenal-kenalan. Sesungguhnya semulia-mulia kamu di sisi Allah ialah yang paling berbakti dan bertakwa di antara kamu." (Al-Hujurat: 13)

Adakah cukup dengan toleransi antara kaum, rakan saya rasa ianya tidak mencukupi. Kerana toleransi tidak berdasarkan sikap hormat dan menghormati. Toleransi adalah tolak ansur terhadap perkara yang tidak kita setuju. Kelemahannya di disini ialah ianya mempuyai batasan-batasan tertentu. Kita boleh tidak bersetuju terhadap sesuatu perkara tetapi sampai bila untuk kita tidak bersetuju?

Jalan terbaik adalah hormat menghormati berdasarkan firman Allah di atas. Walaupun, Allah menggunakan perkataan "mengenali antara kamu", ianya sudah cukup menjadi dasar kepada sikap hormat itu sendiri. Mana mungkin perasaan hormat itu akan wujud dalam setiap sanubari manusia yang pelbagai latarbelakangnya itu, jika mereka tidak kenal antara satu sama lain. Bila kita kenal mak ayah kita, kita akan 'respect' mereka. Begitu juga dengan rakan-rakan kita, bila kita kenal mereka, makanya kita juga akan menghormati mereka dan sepatutnya dihormati oleh mereka juga. Persoalan yang maha penting ialah: sanggupkah kita membuang sebarang prejudis demi menimbulkan rasa hormat itu?

Apa yang pasti bak kata Redhuan D. Oon, kita semua adalah "pendatang dengan izin"(PADI) dari Allah swt bukannya PATI. Maknanya hidup kita bermatlamat mencari keredhaan Allah atas muka bumi ini.

p/s: Gambar saya (dibulatkan) semasa di tadika. Di kelilingi oleh semua orang yang bukan bangsa melayu.

Talk about canning again..? just shut up..

1. Suddenly canning sentence become an attractive topic to talk about in Malaysia and Worldwide.
2. Many people gave comments about this sentence.
3. Muslims or non Muslims, local and foreigner from east to the west.
4. Very few of them were qualified but the rest weren't, even understood what is fiqh and shariah are all about.
5. For western, this is the time for them to condemn. Perhaps to colonize once again..
6. And they started to dance..
7. The impacts are varied. But the most is tend to negative's one.
8. All weaknesses has been revealed and will be revealed sooner or later. One by one.
9. But the root problem slowly forgotten and disappear.
10. Why don't everybody shut their mouth up for a while and start talking about so many verses in al-Quran and Hadith that prohibited and condemned alcohol?
12. Can we do that...? Can't? then, let the experts talking..
13. Now and again we are misfocused of the issue.
Who's gonna lose? Muslims perhaps, if no action taken to stop it.
14. To Governments and politicians, please stop this kind of issue.
15. This really didn't benefit to Islam.
16. Or is it a part of Allah's plan? As what have been done by us so far? Innalillah wa inna ilaihiraji'un.

Canning sentence should not be overstressed

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno suddenly become a celebity in Malaysia now due to her willingness for accepting six strokes of the rotan. On last July 20, the Pahang Syariah High Court had fined Kartika RM5,000 and ordered her to be given six strokes of the rotan after she pleaded guilty to drinking beer at a hotel lounge in Cherating. What make her famous wasn't the crime she did, but the courage she has.

The way of how the media was frequently reporting on this news is not an appropriate act and wrongly focused. It's only could lead this case into a controversial issue. It also give the negative perception of shariah law among Malaysian particularly from non Muslim's view. What the media should focus and concern more is about the dirt of drinking alcohol, not the sentence of canning that already written in Pahang Syariah Enactment. While the verdict is lawful, are we now try to praise someone is guilty and pleaded guilty? Of course we sympathize of her, but the law is still the law, raising up this news everyday certainly can't warn/remind other Muslim not to conduct the crime of drinking alcohol.

Let us do better in Ramadhan..

When Ramadhan comes again, people are suddenly extremely conscious about time. Some people who might rarely know the exact prayer time of Maghrib, Isya' and Subuh, now becoming so passionate and alert about it in Ramadhan. In one aspect, it is a sign of Muslim to always concern of performing prayer in early time but in the other side of view,it is not what is really to be meant or happened. Break fasting is one of the example. Of course, break fasting shouldn't be delayed but it also must not be delayed too in performing Maghrib prayer. Same goes to 'sahur' where delaying it is become a matter to be encouraged in Islam but not in performing Subuh prayer. Of course, it's easy to talk rather than to do it, but let's we struggle for it. The successful Muslim is the one who be able to control his lust. Let's we include ourselves in that group! This is also become a good reminder for me. What a nice moment if we all together struggling for it and translating it into practicality.

Huge number of Muslim...Ramadhan Karim!

When Ramadhan comes again, Muslims all over the world perform their obligation of fasting and at night, they all gathering at mosques to perform prayer esp. tarawih prayer. What a blessed month! Huge number of Muslims performing tarawih prayer together with their family can be seen everywhere. For certain place, it's become more interesting esp in middle east countries. This is a time for them to increase ibadah and other deeds encouraged by Islam such donating, sadaqah and feeding poor people. Break fasting during Maghrib is like a festive where many people preparing meals, gathering and meeting to each other. In a couple of hours, they forgot jobs and works just to enjoy themselves in doing ibadah and socializing with others. All these events express greater significant to Muslim's life. This month really makes Muslims closer to Allah (for those whose take it as an opportunity!). When they are gathering at mosque, we know the number of Muslims is so big. I talk to myself, it's good to see like this in other month where Muslims could become and remain stronger through unity! This is so nice..

Gold Jewellery For Investment Purposes

Many of us purchase gold fashion jewellery because - it looks good, our mother said so, it compliments the color of our skin, its a great possible investment, yaddy, yaddy yah. The reasons are as numerous as the wonderfully honest dealers who would sell you the gold jewellery.

Perhaps I shouldn’t pass too quickly over the “great investment theme” because it is or can be somewhat important to know that “10 Carat gold” all the way up to “18 Carat gold” is generally not considered to be shrewd investment material. And unfortunately the fact that your home insurance will cover it still doesn’t make it investment grade material.

Some of us want to claim an investment while still flaunting the bling on our skin and there is nothing wrong with that so flaunt something a little or considerably better than 18 Carat in order to claim the investment angle. Typically, the areas of the world where better than 18 Carat Gold can be purchased are parts of India,Philippines,Hong Kong and the Middle East

Some jewellers who don’t sell 24 Carat gold are likely to tell you that there is no such thing in jewelry since its too soft for most applications. They do have a point there however from experience I can tell you that 22 Carat Gold necklaces of 110 grams have been known to support the pull of a 22 klg child.

I first started buying gold in the souks of the middle east. It was, at one time very cheap there. Later I moved on to the gold souks of Dubai and the other middle east commercial centers. Real 24K stuff can be had there.

If truth be told, I thought I was buying 24, but the jewelry was usually only 97-98% pure, but hey, still better than the 14k stuff sold in North America.

Then I found them. These are massive jewellery stores on both the Hong Kong and Kowloon side. They sell amazing pearl, emerald and wonderfully carved gold pieces. Supposedly, the HK government certifies what they are selling, but a few of these tourists traps have all kinds of interesting motivational **deals** especially in Kowloon. Anyway, they have certificates claiming their 24 Carat Gold is 99.999% pure, but when I took their stuff to London, I was told oh no, its only 22K not 24.

When I took this material to a reputable goldsmith to melt down, he again informed me that the material was only 22 to 23 Carats Gold purity. I keep thinking about how embarrassing it would be show one’s own little gold volume/weight measurement tool in one of those massive elite stores and proudly if not loudly proclaim that the pure piece they were trying to sell wasn’t truly pure at all - I am also imagining that one would be set on not unkindly by the police for creating such a fine disturbance.

And I know someone else will post and tell me that they are from HK and the government certifies these big shops blah blah but I have purchased big items 4 times in 6 years and each time while trying to sell elsewhere in North America and the UK have been told similar bad news ( Even when I presented the govt stamped HK certificate|It made no difference to the buyers even when presented with the certificate of authenticity which comes with each piece purchased from HK ) Can authenticity certificates be faked? Certainly. Might certain shops fake them? I can’t say.

The lesson to learn perhaps is when buying gold from a store don’t ever fully 100% trust your seller or your buyer because the value of the metal is so high, understand that if either of the two groups can sucker you for even 2-3% of the value, they will, they can and they won’t stop - irrespective of authenticity proofs blah blah blah.

Lesson learned, when buying precious metals in the form of jewelry internationally don’t ever fully 100% trust your seller or your buyer because the value of the metal is so high, understand that if either of the two groups can sucker you for even 2-3% of the value, they will, they can and they won’t stop - irrespective of authenticity proofs blah blah blah.

If your goal is really investment and you have no real need to put on your bling then buy a regulated certifiable gold bar from a western based dealer who is very much liable in western courts and has both insurance and liability coverage.

If what you are looking to purchase is 14 Carat or below, ignore everything above since, 14 Carat is not investment quality anyway.

If you are in Hong Kong and hesitating to buy. Don’t hesitate, just understand that very rarely ever will a street vendor sell you absolutely 24 Carats, even if he/she believes that is truly the gold carat. Haggle the purchase price with the knowledge that you’re are probably getting substantially more than 22 Carats but really not 24 Carats. Compare this to the North American or even Australian experience where you are most likely being sold only 14 Carats.

So buy it, wear it, enjoy it, don’t lose it and have fun.
Excerpt from Janice Jopin