It's been more than a month since my last post. Ive been busy at work.
I did write something, but it was too angry for my liking, so I scrapped it.
I'll try and be less angry this time around.
I wrote something about how I'm disliking the current celebrity ustaz fab thats going around.
You see people all over facebook and twitter posting stuff up about the sayings and ceramahs of these ustazs.
But to be honest the only reason people like these people so much is because they're funny.
They make religion sound fun.
Take away the jokes, no one wants to listen to them.
Even with the jokes I don't like listening to them, if I'm being honest.
I don't like how these ustazs, educated, religious folk, look down upon those with less religious knowledge and awareness.
They make fun of people that don't know religion that well. Call them names and stuff.
Bodoh macam kambing was the one I heard.
And the audience laughs with them.
"Haha, memang bodoh macam kambing siapa yang tak tau tu.".
What if the person was never brought up in an Islamic background and wanted to change?
Then people promote to him this ustaz.
"Listen to this Ustaz, he is funny, he is good."
So he listens, and finds himself not knowing these very basic Islamic things.
And is likened to a goat.
Its like telling a kindergartner how stupid he is for not knowing how to read.
He will be completely demoralized, and shall avoid the subject of reading altogether.
No one likes being called stupid, in anything at all.
It's as if these religious folks, these learned scholars of our religion, think that hidayah is found, not received.
It's as if they feel they worked hard to be good, it is all their doing, thus they deserve the right to brag and ridicule people.
And expect the ridiculed to take it all humbly and miraculously change into a devout Muslim.
This is not so. This reminds me of a story I once read about the meeting between Iblis and our Prophet.
He told the Prophet, "I do not have the power to turn people astray. I merely have the ability to persuade them. If I did have the power to turn them astray, then not even one of them will be spared. It is the same with you. You are merely the Messenger, you do not have the power to grant hidayah. If you did, then you would save everyone."
Only God can decide who leads the righteous path and who does not.
So with this in mind, how can any man woman or child, be proud and boast of his or her amalan?
You would be guzzling down beer and fornicating like bunnies if not for God's mercy.
It has absolutely nothing to do with you, He just so happens to be in a good mood and wants to spare you from his fiery hells.
Loosely speaking, of course.
I'll be honest, when people ask me to go for these ceramahs, I try my best to find excuses not to go.
Not because I am so lacking in religious knowledge and would be offended, I think I know the ABCs of Islam.
Its because I cannot bring myself to learn from these people.
I can almost hear the arrogance in their voices.
That feeling of superiority over others, that 'holier-than-thou' attitude, travels much faster, and much deeper than what they're actually saying.
A teacher should not impose his or her superiority to his or her students.
A teacher should earnestly, sincerely want to pass on their knowledge.
To help others, not to brag.
You cannot tell me that you have never felt this
That you have never felt that someone is trying to show off.
Or that someone is sincerely trying to teach you something.
I think I should stop here before it turns into an angry post again.
Just in case someone misunderstood what I meant in this post, this does not mean that I feel that I am better than these ulama'.
By all means no, I am very much lacking in both knowledge and amalan.
I am merely saying that a little humility won't hurt.
After all, what are we if not slaves to Him.
Peace.
